A Strange Prayer Approach

This may not be a surprise for a lot of you that have been a life long journey with Christ, but for me, prayer has always confused me a little bit, only having followed Christ for a few years. We read the Lord's prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, and if you were anything like me, you wanted to break it down into a formula into how you pray, what you should include into a prayer for Jesus.

I haven't studied it enough to be honest, but I hear prayer so much in all the books, church, Christian content, and all the stuff that's out there. Between certain sects of Christianity, there's debate on who and how to pray. There's ideas of repetition, a mediator, and some with rituals. My question to all of that though is... if God is supposed to be a personal being, then why must we constantly be doing things to gain His attention? Something tells me we don't. We just need to open our hearts and let Him connect. He's always here, always around, and never ceases to give us His Grace throughout our lives.

Prayer is such a simple concept; much like communication between humans, prayer is that direct communication to God. I always have to remind myself that while we are made in His image, He's not going to come down in human form and speak to me directly. In fact, Jesus already did that. Jesus let God's glory completely run His life to the point of death, as is the example set before us. The Bible shows us many ways to connect to God. David and other's wrote psalms and music. Other's became prophets, receiving visions and being driven to direct obedience.

One thing reigns true though... we all fall short of the Glory of God. We recognize that we are unworthy, we are dirty and unclean, and we are filled with things that pull us farther and farther away from the presence we so desire. In prophets visions and encounters, they are immediately humbled. The Glory, in our current state, would completely destroy us. How? Who knows. That's when we get Jesus, who allows us to become clean to the Lord, so one day we can eternally dwell within His presence. What a beautiful day that will be.

So we begin our journey of confession to God, asking for forgiveness, asking for strength, direction, and all sorts of things. We beg, we cry, we plead, and most times it's completely in vain. Our hearts are corrupt with selfishness, pride, gluttony, and all the terrible things God hates. Until one day you realize what Jesus taught us, and what the Holy Spirit guides you to do; repent. Grieve over your sorrows. Lament over your transgressions to God. Turn around and do good for the Lord.

As humans, this will consume us until we realize that we should be eternally grateful for all of our blessings. We begin a period of extreme gratitude, thankfulness, and genuine love as we pour our hearts to the Lord. We feel that love, we bathe in it and enjoy it. So much so that we often feel so unclean when we do wrong, that it doesn't feel right going back God with your problems. You bottle them up, selfishly try to lock them up and solve them yourself. Sometimes you even get stuck in a cycle between the last paragraph and this one.

Then at some point, all of that seems very formal. You start thinking that you wouldn't talk to a friend or a father this way... maybe God wants you be a little more honest. So you just start babbling away every time you enter prayer. You tell Him about your day and attempt to work through the blessings, learning experiences, and all that as you pray... until it just starts to feel like a chore.

Now you enter a phase of silence and obligation, getting farther away from what prayer is about, and more about just praying for the sake of praying. If it doesn't feel like the right time you won't. Say a prayer at dinner. Say a bedtime prayer. Read the Bible and pray. It becomes a secondary... chore I might say.

12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. - The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 12:12–1 Co 7:5.

Be in constant prayer eh? How in the world do we do that? We can't live life if we are constantly praying. So prayer must not simply be sitting down, folding your hands, and saying stuff. It must be more. The only thing that makes sense... is a heart posture. A constant reminder that God is with you always, and Jesus gave you a connection to the Father through Him and Him only that you cannot replace, replicate, or anything.

I find myself nowadays just trying to keep the Bible, God, and Jesus in my mind and heart at all times. I am human. I fail at this probably every minute of the day. I let my mind wonder at the fascination of what life He has given me. I dwell upon words in scripture (when I actually sit down and read it). I let the Holy Spirit lead my soul to something greater.

Then I hear a song.... Nothing Else by Cody Carnes. It got me thinking hearing the chorus of the song. Jesus you don't owe me anything. I am not here for blessings. More than anything you could do... I just want you.

It got me thinking... what if I am praying for response? What if I am praying to be heard? What if I am praying expecting to be something that brings me closer to God? What if... that's not what it's for. What if... hear me out... prayer is simply having your heart open to Jesus at all times so He can connect your heart to God? This isn't about works. It isn't about suffering or joy. It isn't about the good. It's about Jesus. Being here, right now, with Jesus.

Thus I've taken a different approach recently with my prayer. I make small prayers throughout the day. Even a half sentence thankful notion. Even just an "I can't do this myself, but I love you anyway." All that posturing I did before, it wasn't my heart, it was my expectation.

And the other thing I do... is simply spend a little bit of time without distraction, with nothing in my hand's reach, asking Jesus if I can just sit and feel his presence. Sometimes my mind is silent. Sometimes my mind is lost in thoughts. Sometimes I am just thankful.

Why? How is this any different? I feel it. I feel the difference, because I am no longer coming to Jesus with my problems and gratitude. I am just coming to Jesus. I just ask to sit there in His presence, and I let His work do it all for me. Instead of formulaically coming to Him with the things, I just let the presence overtake me, and whatever comes out, is what comes out. My heart is there. My heart it open. I no longer think, I just pour out my heart on the table with the presence that so many have knelt before me in reverence.

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. - The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 22:37–Mk 12:30.