Prayer Challenge

For about the last month, I've been (slowly) reading this book by Kyle Lake (name sound familiar? he's the pastor who was was electrocuted in the baptismal font at his church in TX): [Re]understanding Prayer: A Fresh Approach to Conversation with God. It's a great book. He wrote this book after being tired of the clichés, annoyed with the vacant banter, and suspecting that a simple word like prayer failed to express the fullness of our interaction with God.

Well, the last chapter I read (chapter 6: Prayer as Drama) has really challenged me. Allow me to share a bit:

"...our Christian subculture has created its own scripts--its own means of instructing others (verbally or non-verbally) on how to do the things we as Christians do...pray, worship, read the Bible, counsel, even how to be caring and how to forgive. These scripts cycle from one generation to the next. Most often, they are unwritten. However, there are times when they're actually taught. At times they are scripts unto themselves, one for each Christian part--one for prayer, one for worship, one for Bible reading, on efor adequately consoling af riend. And each is lying on a table just looking for an actor to come along and play the part..."

He goes on to explain that in our prayers, we use a lot of "insider" language that can become futile or meaningless in our own prayers because we use words on "autopilot" and don't really think about what they mean...and that can really distract or turn-off new Christians. I've always thought of myself as being a good pray-er. I really sincerely search out God's will by asking Him to take away my own. I pray for other people. I pray with other people...And I certainly didn't think any of this "insider language" he spoke of was in any of my prayers. Until I read what he meant. Let me give you a couple of examples.

"Take "be with" for instance. ("Lord, be with Lucy as she goes into surgery." "Be with Bob today as he buries himself to the neck in pickles.") What is that? Didn't Jesus say, "I am with you always." Do we have to ask him to do soemthing He's already always doing?

What I think we're usually asking is that people would be extra aware of the fact that God is with them while they go through whatever. So why don't we just say that?

Another one is "bless." ("Lord, bless Taleshia." "Lord, bless this service." "Bless us with no mountain lions at this wedding.") Where, besides praying, do we talk like that? "Yes, I'd like you to bless me with a #1 Combo, monstro-sized, no onions, please." "Thanks for calling Technocorp, how may I bless you?" It's almost like it's become a generic word for every situation. How wonderful it must be to the ears of God to hear our generic conversations with Him."

He goes on to mention other ones: like "lead, guide, and direct," "place in Your hands," "fellowship," "in the word," "confess," "repent," "born again," "have a burden," "the lost," "annointed/ing," "raise up," "prosper you/me," "we call on You to...," "create a hedge of protection around...," "of course, we ask all this only if it be Your will," "God before us and..."

Wow. Feeling convicted now? I certainly was. I may not use all of those phrases, but I certainly use some of them...a lot! Kyle even says that he fears about 90% of our conversations with God have become cliche.

So he challenged me (and all of his other readers) to avoid using those worn-out, autopilot phrases when talking to God. I tried it. It's really hard. Especially "be with" and "bless." (Wow, do I use those a lot!) It almost drove me nuts--I wanted to say them so bad! But it challenged me to really think about what I was saying (or asking), and focus all of myself on the prayer. It's been amazing. (And I truly hope it helps me in my new relationships with the youth at our church...)

Kyle gives an example of a prayer that he stopped in his tracks that I thought was really helpful to understand what he's saying in the chapter:

"God, when I say "I place this meeting in Your hands," You know that I don't expect this meeting to come off with a hitch just because I've "given it to you." I know that Your involvement in my life doesn't guarantee unwavering success, and it certainly doesn't guarantee that things will turn out just as I want them to. There are other people involved here who may have entirely different view and hopes than I do.

God, Your thoughts and Your ways are far beyond mine.

You are probably aware of what I want to see happen here. I really hope we'll get on the other side of this meeting, and everyone will be on the same page. Adn if there are disagreements, I hope they'll be worked out smoothly. But, God, I know that's not always the way things turn out. Help me do my part in creating a constructive environment and to communicate clearly, respectfully, and with definite boundaries.

I guess, in the end, what I'm saying is that I'm not placing this meeting in Your hands just so I don't have to take responsibility for how it turns out. And I'm also not placing this meeting in Your hands just to finagle the outcome I want.

But I do know You have my best interests in mind, and that You're not working against me, but for me. So help me keep trusting You and Your desires for my life."

Wow. I think Kyle experienced God talking back to him through his prayer. I know God has been teaching me a thing or two through mine.

So I challenge you too. Try clearing your prayers of the words and phrases you use on autopilot the most. It will be hard. It will be frustrating. But it will be worth it!

Read more...