Prayer Series: Part 1
There are numerous books and sermons on prayer. I’ve read and heard a few. The Bible encourages us to pray; some may say commands. Yet I find so few who pray; myself included. It is not that I never pray, but I am definitely not praying without ceasing. I don’t spend hours in prayer and some days I go completely without praying. If I am honest, my excuses are long: no time, I forget, my house isn’t quiet, I don’t know what to pray about, I feel guilty right now so I can’t pray, I’m mad at God and don’t want to pray, what’s the point, I haven’t been to church in so long God doesn’t want to hear from me, He doesn’t answer my prayers anyway, I feel stupid praying, people pray better than I do…
Any of these sound like you?
I have carried the guilt of ‘to pray or not to pray’ for many years. Often choosing not, I’ve recently been convicted to stop running from the act of prayer and face my fears. I have spent too long in the nosebleed section of prayer. The further away the less I have to admit that I don’t understand how prayer works or why it’s so important. I can stay as far away from the game and act like I know what is going on. But it’s time to get better seats.
Prayer is scary. I’ve wondered why I fear prayer. I don’t mean public prayer because we are worried that someone is analyzing whether we are speaking poetically enough or using the right theological terminology. Let’s not be Pharisaical. I’m talking about me and God; face-to-face prayer. Moses got the closest to this encounter with a holy God and look what happened to him. He shone so brightly that the Israelites feared him. They made him wear a veil over his head when he was finished meeting with God to keep from blinding them. Isaiah, though in a dream, when confronted with God fell on his face in shame before a vision of holiness. He feared for his life. Confrontation with a Holy God is frightening.
Prayer is scary because it’s a Holy business. So let’s define this word because defining words is important in gaining understanding. Holiness is a direct attribute of God. And, Christ commands us to be Holy as He is Holy. But what does it mean to be Holy?
- In reference to God it refers to one set apart. God set himself apart from the Israelites as the “I am” and “Yahweh.” Untouchable because of his holiness (sinlessness) and their separateness (sin), he made himself available through a temple, prophets, judges, and kings. Today we can look at his holiness as completely good, righteous, just, pure, majestic, only attainable through Christ.
- For followers of Christ we can become holy because upon salvation we are consecrated (made holy/sacred) to him for his service. We gradually grow in holiness through sanctification (spiritual growth) because we are becoming more like Christ, who is the embodiment of holiness.
Let’s go back to Isaiah( 6:1-13) face down on the ground. His commission is brief, but enlightening concerning why we fear prayer. The moment he saw God and the seraphs he cried out, “Woe to me! I am ruined.” Essentially he’s saying, “Oh no, what I am going to do? I’m about to die!” Any good Israelite knew that when before God unless your sins were paid for through sacrifice at the temple, you were worthy of death. Isaiah knew at that moment his status. “A man of unclean lips, living among people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King.” Though he undoubtedly loved God, he knew parts of his life were not praiseworthy. He knew his people didn’t put God first, he knew his culture turned from God and all these wayward devotions were collective sinfulness. He was guilty of his own sins, but also of his people.
Herein lies our fear of prayer. The guilt I mentioned isn’t misplaced. I confess when I sit before God in silence or with others I dare not utters words. Who am I, but a sinner? The shame I feel is real. How can I talk face-to-face with a God worthy of praise when my life is riddled with mistakes, embarrassments, and shame. We face a barrier to God, but should we?
God knows our status, but for love of relationship, he’s yearning to communicate with us. The Bible is full of instances where God meets with humankind in the midst of their sin. He loves us too much to stay away. He accommodates Isaiah with a coal, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” A conversation begins. Prayer engaged.
Fear prayer no more. He’s accommodated for us through Christ. Christ atoned, removed, took away all shame and guilt; the barrier is removed. Though confession remains a part of prayer, forgiveness follows freely. If you struggle with prayer because of shame, remember Christ’s extending his hand to you with no intention of shaming you. His aim is pure–a conversation and relationship with you, no strings attached.
With fear out of the way, or in process of working itself out, God’s challenging me to rethink prayer. To love prayer because I love Him. To make time for prayer rather than excuses. Cautiously I move forward knowing I will need to admit areas where I am wrong and readjust my lifestyle or perspective. That’s part of sanctification; willingness to change to become more holy, like Jesus.
I’ll be writing a reflective series on prayer as I am challenged along the way. I hope you will journey with me, share your thoughts and grow in prayer too.
