What's the problem with prayer? September 2008
5 May 2009 - 6:31pm — Sarah Hall
It's three years since I began my work at St Andrew's, so I'm going round catching up with people who aren't in crisis, so if you hear my voice on the phone asking whether you'd like me to drop in, don't panic - you're not in trouble! As I expected, I've experienced wonderful hospitality. But one thing I didn't expect bothers me: people's reaction when I've mentioned prayer.
I've not asked people about their own prayer life. I've not asked them to pray out loud. All I've asked is whether there's anything they would like me to pray about: any joys or concerns they have that I can remember when I pray for them. But that still seems to be a worrying thing to ask. One member responded that they weren't a ‘Holy Willie' - for the benefit of those unfamiliar with Robert Burns' poetry, I believe that's someone who acts pious, but is actually very hypocritical and does all the sorts of things they condemn in others. Another said hastily that everything in their life was fine, thank you - as if praying might be like a lightning conductor and attract God's attention in a way they didn't want! And the reaction of a third made me wonder if they thought themselves far too unimportant for their concerns to be of interest to God. Yet, having been in conversation with them, I knew some of the things that worried them, some of the things that made them happy - things that could be shared in prayer with God, who longs to hear from us.
What's the problem with prayer, I wonder? In public worship prayer happens in long sentences, in smooth strings of words that come to a clear conclusion, so maybe we think all prayer should be like that and, conscious of our own muddled thoughts and feelings, prefer to stay silent rather than get it wrong. Sometimes ministers get carried away by the so-called poetry of their own language - I'm sure I'm sometimes guilty of that! But if we look at the Lord's Prayer, one of the basic models for our praying, very simple things are on Jesus' mind.
• He calls God Father - the one who loves us, who yearns for our love and confidence in return - and asks for God to be at the centre of our lives.
• He asks for wrong things in the world to be put right and God's ways to become everyone's ways. We only need to read the papers or watch the news to be able to think of places in the world needing prayer for God's kingdom to come - and we don't need to know every detail of a situation to pray about it.
• He asks for the basics that we need to live; not just for himself, but for everyone. We all know our own deepest needs; and we can think of others, whether or not we know their names, who are in want.
• He asks for forgiveness for the things we get wrong, and for the power to forgive others who have hurt us; sadly, I don't know anyone who doesn't sometimes need to pray that prayer!
• He asks for wisdom not to get into situations where we're likely to go wrong; but also for strength to stand up against wrong when we encounter it.
Going by that - and Jesus should know what he's on about - praying isn't about being beautiful or poetic or clever. It's about sharing our lives, the good and the bad, with God. Maybe even together with your minister? Go on, try it!
I've not asked people about their own prayer life. I've not asked them to pray out loud. All I've asked is whether there's anything they would like me to pray about: any joys or concerns they have that I can remember when I pray for them. But that still seems to be a worrying thing to ask. One member responded that they weren't a ‘Holy Willie' - for the benefit of those unfamiliar with Robert Burns' poetry, I believe that's someone who acts pious, but is actually very hypocritical and does all the sorts of things they condemn in others. Another said hastily that everything in their life was fine, thank you - as if praying might be like a lightning conductor and attract God's attention in a way they didn't want! And the reaction of a third made me wonder if they thought themselves far too unimportant for their concerns to be of interest to God. Yet, having been in conversation with them, I knew some of the things that worried them, some of the things that made them happy - things that could be shared in prayer with God, who longs to hear from us.
What's the problem with prayer, I wonder? In public worship prayer happens in long sentences, in smooth strings of words that come to a clear conclusion, so maybe we think all prayer should be like that and, conscious of our own muddled thoughts and feelings, prefer to stay silent rather than get it wrong. Sometimes ministers get carried away by the so-called poetry of their own language - I'm sure I'm sometimes guilty of that! But if we look at the Lord's Prayer, one of the basic models for our praying, very simple things are on Jesus' mind.
• He calls God Father - the one who loves us, who yearns for our love and confidence in return - and asks for God to be at the centre of our lives.
• He asks for wrong things in the world to be put right and God's ways to become everyone's ways. We only need to read the papers or watch the news to be able to think of places in the world needing prayer for God's kingdom to come - and we don't need to know every detail of a situation to pray about it.
• He asks for the basics that we need to live; not just for himself, but for everyone. We all know our own deepest needs; and we can think of others, whether or not we know their names, who are in want.
• He asks for forgiveness for the things we get wrong, and for the power to forgive others who have hurt us; sadly, I don't know anyone who doesn't sometimes need to pray that prayer!
• He asks for wisdom not to get into situations where we're likely to go wrong; but also for strength to stand up against wrong when we encounter it.
Going by that - and Jesus should know what he's on about - praying isn't about being beautiful or poetic or clever. It's about sharing our lives, the good and the bad, with God. Maybe even together with your minister? Go on, try it!
