Politically Correct Prayers
I also call them 'artificial' prayers. They are the prayers you most often hear before meals, or before bed. "Thank you for the day. Thank you for the food. Please bless it." Or, "Keep me safe tonight." Sometimes they can be very spiced-up and spiritually-adherent, but dry when it comes to passion. It just bugs me sometimes how 'artificial' people's prayers can be - and these are God-fearing men and women! I do not pretend to know the intent behind their prayers; but I've talked to some, and they wonder what I mean when I say our prayers ought to be passionate. Our prayers MUST be passionate! Our prayers MUST be real! Our hearts MUST be in them, or they are empty and wasteful. Dry prayers lead dry lives, and passionate prayers lead wild lives. Jesus didn't pray such artificial prayers; His heart was into it - he sweated blood, remember, and agonized for hours in the garden!
Is it not amusing how some people, crushed and broken and on the verge of destruction, crying their hearts out, will take a somber and even reverent tone when praying, and we think, "Wait a minute - that's not how it is! You're much more desperate than that!" I believe one of the greatest hindrances to really experiencing and living in God intimately is the off-hand rambling of artificial prayers. How great an intimicy is grown in a Hollywood script? In the same way, why do we expect to get instantly close to God with four-point and formula prayers? You can tell by my choppy writing - why has my writing been so choppy lately, I wonder? - that these thoughts are flooding me, and I will continue to dwell on them. If you're even more interested, here are some Scriptures to look at:
Matthew 6:1-18
James 5:13-18
Luke 22:39-46
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4 comments:
I think prayer is conversation with God, and with any conversation we talk and we must listen. I often struggle with taking the time to simply listen. I do my talking and then end the prayer without waiting for HIS response.
I have found that He often speaks in whispers, however, it seems I rarely have times when I do not have "noise" in the background - radio, TV, stereo, conversations.
I think the artificial prayers are usually "done" when we are praying with others because we do not want to reveal intimate details of our struggles/hopes/dreams/sins with anyone other than God. People have been "burned" by gossip, etc as a result of group prayer.
Many people you hear say "artificial" prayers may have a passionate/honest prayer life in their prayer closet - which ultimately is what God desires.
I completely agree on all points. Often in Small Groups or house churches it is a good idea to break apart and pray one-on-one with God instead of culminating group prayers because of the intimacy to be desired often isn't found in groups. And you are completely correct - how do I know there are no passion in prayers? That's why I said in the post I didn't know the intent behind prayers. From personal experience, and this is a window into my often artificiality, when I pray in groups, it is bland and dry and unfeeling - one of the reasons I have 'backed down' from praying in public. But that's just my own conviction.
My experience is that most of the time true passion comes in 1 on 1 praying Its more intimate and you don't feel you're being judged by what you say or how long you pray There have been times though when I've been in a group praying for someone and you could feel the warmth and electricity through the whole group even if only a few words were spoken by someone or a bible verse was read That's true heart and passion and love
beautiful!
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