Prayer is one of those activities that is just about universal. Most religions practice some form of communication with transcendent or ascendant entities. Prayer is a central feature of the three main Bible religions, Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Whereas polite conversation is supposed to avoid religious issues in general, few people will object to having prayers spoken around or about them. And the sentiment behind WWII correspondent Ernie Pyle's well known aphorism, "There are no atheists in foxholes," rings true across the globe.
Perhaps it is the familiarity with prayer that leads some people to harbor false assumptions about its true nature. Since I have mentioned a journalist already, allow me to use the old newspaperman's outline, who, what, when, where, why and how as a framework for this primer on Christian prayer.
Who is involved in prayer? The short answer is every living soul. Prayer is not limited to only those who inhabit some inner circle of God's favor; the Bible is clear that even the cries of people outside God's chosen are heard in Heaven. Consider the case of the Ninevites or the Apostle Paul's insistence that the lost need only to call upon the Lord to be saved. On the receiving end of prayer, God the Father is the only person the Bible recognizes. While the apostles, saints and departed ancestors are worthy of respect, they are not mentioned in the Bible as a proper audience for our prayers. Nor is Mary, though she is certainly among the most revered of women. Prayer is properly directed to our Heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit in the name of Christ Jesus. Anything else is meditation and should not be considered prayer.
What is prayer? It is a two-way communication between creatures and Creator. Most people understand the uplink part; we speak to God through prayer. There is also a download side to prayer. Many people don't consider that God also wishes to speak to us as well. Through His Holy Spirit and the Word, God makes His will and ways known to us, sometimes in virtually audible tones, but more often in promptings and leadings within our deepest parts.
When is prayer appropriate? Certainly as Pyle implies, in times of dire need. But a proper Christian attitude should be one of continual prayer. It is not right to think that we can handle most things on our own and then call on God when things get tough. As A.W. Tozer said, "The whole life must pray." Islam prescribes specific times of prayer, and to many this seems like a more spiritual thing than unscheduled, unscripted prayer in the Christian manner. Nothing is farther from the truth; Jesus himself said that ritualistic prayer, while appearing godly to those on earth, was of no heavenly good.
Where should one pray? The same holds true for this as for "when:" Anywhere and everywhere.
Why does one pray? This is the most complicated question to answer. The simple answer could be that Jesus commanded us to pray, so we pray out of obedience. But the question naturally follows as to why Jesus would command such a thing. One could say it is because Jesus himself prayed and we are to follow his example. This is true, but still leaves much unsaid. We are told to pray for our needs: give us this day our daily bread. We are told to pray for the sick. We are told to pray for the success of Christian ministry. We are told to pray for so many things that the upshot is that we should pray for and about everything. But this still does not tell us why we are to pray.
The "why" is not answered in Scripture. There is debate among sincere believers as to whether we can change God's mind by our prayers. I happen to believe that God is going to do what he is going to do whether we pray or not, and that he knows that we either are going to or not, so the outcome is established by his will, not our prayer. Having said that, however, I still pray for things in the hope that God will grant my requests. It has become much less an act of me wanting God to do what I ask, and more an act of wanting God to prepare me for what he intends to provide for me in any given situation. I like what someone once said: prayer is not about getting God's will to line up with ours, but about getting our will to line up with God's. The perfect example was prayed in Gethsemane: take this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.
How one prays is not really an issue. The anywhere, anytime nature of prayer dictates that it can be done in any position or condition. I have spent countless hours praying while driving. (Note that closing one's eyes is not recommended in this activity.) I have prayed while standing in line at a grocery store. I often pray while lying in bed. I pray with my hands idle at my side, folded reverently, upraised in praise and many other ways. I say most of my prayers in English, but I believe that God gives believers the ability to pray in a language that is not known to them for specific purposes. This is not the place for a treatise on praying in tongues, but I accept it as valid for today's Christians. (I reject the notion that a believer must pray in an unknown tongue to certify salvation or guarantee effectiveness.)
I close this primer with an encouragement: if you want to learn to pray, start by praying for wisdom from God; he has promised to grant that particular request every time. If you pray only a little, pray more. If you pray quite a lot, pray more. If you pray continually, bless you and please put me on your prayer list: I covet your prayers... and I really need them... just ask my wife.
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