Reflections: Thinking About Praying

Now and again, I read something that really makes me think; something that important enough to pause and wrestle with. Occasionally I will write something onto a Post-it note and stick it above my desk, to return to and ponder.

One of those notes is a quote about prayer, from Shane Claiborne, one of the founders of the Red Letter Christians movement which focusses on the words of Jesus. He is a great example of someone who practices what he preaches, and he said, ‘Prayer is not just about us trying to get God to do what we want God to do, but about getting ourselves to do what God wants us to do.’
I love that – because so often we arrive in front of God with a shopping list, and we pray while telling God exactly how our prayers should be answered! But so often God’s answers are so very different, and maybe we aren’t even asking the right questions.

What should our prayers be like? Sometimes our prayers will be short and urgent – ‘Help!’ is a perfectly formed prayer for some occasions. But sometimes our prayers should be slow and thoughtful, sometimes they should not focus on ourselves and our needs at all, but on God and just who God is. And sometimes we need no words at all, but to rest in God’s gentle loving presence.

We could (and should) spend a lifetime exploring the subject of prayer, but as we ponder, it helps to remember that praying is a conversation with God, not just a chance for us to tell God what we think or feel. I return to the quote to think about it and remind myself that God is at work in me, and sometimes I have to be part of the answers to the prayers I pray.
And perhaps I need to reflect on another of my Post-it notes – a quote from Psalm 119:41 (from the Message), ‘Let your love, God, shape my life.’ Amen!