The Problem with Prayer
A few months ago, I had a conversation on prayer groups. My foundational church experiences came from Baptist denominations in predominantly African-American churches. There, emphasis was placed on prayer and fasting. Verses such as James 5:16 were routinely quoted as someone declared “the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous availeth much.” (King James Version). During the worship service, there was a time for prayer by one of the deacons. We prayed for the church, individuals, and the community. The prayer was typically lively, passionate (and possibly a little loud and lengthy) and the congregation participated by saying “Amen” or speaking directly to the Lord about that same concern and matching the passion (and sometimes volume) expressed by the deacon. At another church, the month of January was a time of fasting and prayer for the congregation. Those early experiences set expectations for me about what it means to pray and defining how to worship God. Frankly, I was looking to return to that standard. So, I thought maybe a prayer group could be a place members would hold each other accountable to not only study scriptures on prayer but to pray together, and then jointly watch to see how God answered those prayers. I was prepared for my trusted advisor to fully vet this desire, but I wasn’t prepared for the response. The response was, in so many words, “don’t expect anyone to show up for that.” I was so shocked that for some amount of time I lost the ability to make sentences. The words were not profound or intended to offend, but my mind swirled over the implication of that warning—prayer turns people away from God.
Prayer is a Deterrent to Knowing God
As I contemplated the idea of prayer being a repellant to Christians, I reflected on my own experiences and some of the experiences I heard over the years. The reasons boiled down to fear or shame, and discomfort or inconvenience. One of the main deterrents to my prayer life, and one that I’ve heard from many others, was fear. There were many fears-- others would think I’m stupid; the words won’t come out right; I wouldn’t be as good as the people I see pray in church. Interestingly enough, I was also afraid that I might pray as fervently as those I had seen growing up and “catch the Holy Ghost.” “Catching the Holy Ghost” was the term used for those people who were dancing, shaking, trembling, fainting, speaking in tongues, or some combination of those things while under the influence of the Holy Spirit. I don’t know exactly where this fear developed but it was always clear that this form of worship was not desirable to me. The last reason is discomfort or inconvenience. We are too busy or too tired and prayer takes too long. Some feel awkward or weird praying. This sense of discomfort in prayer is undesirable as well and so we do not proceed in our attempts to pray. In reviewing these reasons and continuing to unpack my friend’s statement, I wondered whether these all boiled down to maybe we just don’t get what prayer means to us.
What is Prayer?
At the most basic level, prayer is simply communication with God. It is also an encounter with God. For clarity, I am focusing on prayer as a regular practice with a dedicated time set aside away from others to speak to God and hear from God as modeled by Jesus. This type of prayer may also be considered a time of worship, quiet time, meditation. This is not a quick prayer in passing or urgent prayer to address an issue. This is prayer as a ritual, where you go to meet God and sit in His presence.
There are numerous verses in the Bible that illustrate a need for a regular, deep and intimate time of prayer as prayer provides a means of communication with God. The lives of Jesus, Paul, and Elijah demonstrate this. Jesus taught the way to pray in Matthew 6:4-15. Jesus also regularly went away from other people for times of prayer. (Matthew 14:23, Luke 6:12; Mark 1:35; and Luke 5:16) Paul instructed the Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thess. 4:17 ESV.) He taught the Philippians not to worry but “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let … requests be made known to God.” (Phil. 4:6.) Elijah, the prophet, is my favorite prayer warrior. Elijah’s life was marked by consistent communication with God. Through regular communication with God for direction, Elijah provided food for a widow and her son during the drought; raised someone from the dead; called down fire from heaven; and parted the river Jordan just so he could walk to the other side. Elijah walked with God so closely that he was taken up to heaven by a whirlwind and he knew in advance that this was to happen. (1 Kings 17-19; 2 Kings 2:1-11.)
Prayer is also one of the weapons that we can use to fight in the spiritual battle. The New Testament speaks continually of the battle between flesh and spirit within the Believer. (Romans 6:19; Galatians 5:17; 1 Peter 2:11.) Romans 12:2 warns that we should “not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of [our] minds.” Through regular renewal of our minds in prayer, we are able to be changed into kingdom-oriented person from a self-focused person. Through encountering God in prayer, we grow and mature as Believers.
Prayer is a Measuring Stick
If prayer is so important, then why would a gathering to pray not attract large gatherings of Believers? Why would experience teach us that Christians won’t show up for a gathering just to pray? It is my contention that our prayer life reflects our faith in God. Prayer is a barometer of faith. The areas we pray about reflect where we believe God can, does, and should act. Conversely, the areas of life where we don’t pray reflect the areas where we do not believe God can, does, or should act. Our prayers reflect what we truly believe. Follow my thought process: I believe that God is a healer. Therefore, I will pray for supernatural healing or for God to heal through medical treatment. When I didn’t believe that God was my provider, then I didn’t pray for Him to meet my needs. I handled my needs myself through my job, which I believed I had attained through my credentials, skills, and loveable personality.
In essence, we pray for the things that we believe are outside of our control—buying the right house in a competitive market; healing for a gravely ill friend; or being set free from an overbearing manager. How does this type of prayer life bring about spiritual growth or develop the kingdom of God?? It cripples the church because we are not gathering to pray together as well as separately.
Praying for Everything
Janet and Geoff Benge wrote a series of biographies on prominent Christian heroes called Christian Heroes Then and Now. The biographies of George Mueller and Charles Mulli changed my outlook on prayer. Both men led lives dependent on God. As a young adult, Mueller prayed for God to supply his needs since his father objected to his desire to be a missionary. God answered repeatedly and would eventually direct Mueller to start an orphanage in Bristol, England in the 1800. He prayed for food, money, buildings, and even for children to live in the orphanage. If something broke, Mueller prayed for it to be fixed as well as the workers who would fix it. (Benge, Janet and Geoff Benge. George Mueller: The Guardian of Bristol’s Orphans, audiobook, narrator unknown, YWAM Publishing, 2012.) God’s response to Mueller’s prayers moved me. I had never heard of someone praying for every little thing of life. What’s more is I eventually realized the sum of those small movements equaled a great work for God as well as that community. Despite that, I finished that biography thinking that no one lives like that today. Later, I listened to the story of Charles Mulli (sometimes spelled Mully), a Kenyan entrepreneur who essentially did the same thing as Mueller, except Mulli is still alive and his work is continuing to this day. (Benge, Janet and Geoff Benge. Charles Mulli: We are Family, audiobook, narrated by Tim Gregory, YWAM Publishing, 2017.) These testimonies of answered prayer serve as reminders of who God is and they direct us like small pebbles on the trail of life.
Anticipating the Next Encounter
These testimonies also reflect our own potential inside and outside of ministry. Each encounter with God brings change and that thought is life giving. God does not have favorites and treats everyone the same (Romans 2:11). The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is the same Spirit that enabled those Christian heroes to accomplish great things in their lives. That is the same Holy Spirit that resides in all Believers in Christ. (Romans 8:11.) This knowledge is exciting and encouraging just because we can be changed through each small encounter. This means you and I can accomplish great things for the kingdom of God if we regularly position ourselves to have an encounter with Him and do what He asks. It is as if each answered little prayer and movement in response adds up like compound interest over time to effect God’s plan in our lives and the world. Like little children eagerly awaiting presents on their birthday, may we anticipate the next “minor” move of God and run to have an encounter in prayer with Him.
