Different Ways to Pray – Many Verses!
/Lectionary Readings for July 31, 2022 8th Sunday After Pentecost, Year C
Hosea 11:1-11 v1 When Israel was a child, I loved him; and out of Egypt I called My son.
Psalm 107:1-9, 43 v1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Colossians 3:1-11 v8 But now make sure you shed such things: anger, rage, spite, slander, and abusive language.
Luke 12:13-21 v15 And Jesus said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”
But this week we’ll be digging into Psalm 4:1, 1 Samuel 3:10-11, 1 Chronicles 4:10, Luke 11:2-4, Luke 22:42-44, and Romans 8:26-27.
Peace through Leadership Quotes
“I do believe we're all connected. I do believe in positive energy. I do believe in the power of prayer. I do believe in putting good out into the world. And I believe in taking care of each other.” ~ Harvey Fierstein
“Faith and prayer are the vitamins of the soul; man cannot live in health without them.” ~ Mahalia Jackson
Like vitamins, sometimes our prayer needs seem too big or too bitter, but we can break our prayers into smaller, more focused bites or add some sweet prayers of thanksgiving for balance. Regardless of our circumstances or mood, if we regularly nurture our souls with the vitamins of faith and prayer, we open ourselves to God giving us peace beyond our own understanding and giving us opportunities to share that peace with others. The next time you take a vitamin, ask God to nourish your soul with peace.
Any time I preach or lead a group, regardless of age, I start the same way. I’m going to say three short sentences. Please repeat each sentence, with enthusiasm.
God made me. God loves me. God has plans for me.
Preface to Today’s Scripture Reading
I firmly believe that God created us, God loves us, and God wants to be in a personal relationship with each and every one of us. Ultimately and most powerfully, prayer connects us with God, with ourselves, and with others.
The Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, aka our Old Testament) is filled with prayers and declarations praising God (ex: Exodus 15). I’ve always loved the conversations Abram and Moses had with God.
Abram – If I can find a few good people will you spare their city? (Genesis 18:16-33)
Moses – Please don’t wipe out the people; that would be bad for Your reputation. (Exodus 32)
The book of Psalms is filled with prayers of confession and repentance (Psalm 51), prayers of praise (Psalm 145:1-9), and prayers of confidence (Psalm 16:1-8) where the authors proclaim what God has done and will do for them.
Let’s open our ears, minds, and hearts as we hear a variety of prayers from throughout Scripture.
Read Psalm 4:1, 1 Samuel 3:10-11, 1 Chronicles 4:10, Luke 11:2-4, Luke 22:42-44, and Romans 8:26-27.
Since I was a kid, I’ve told people, “I never really pray; I just have this ongoing conversation with God. And as with any long-term relationship, our conversations are filled with laughter, tears, curious and challenging questions, arguments, as well as quiet moments when no words accurately convey a thought or feeling.”
First and foremost, I encourage you to think of prayer as communication with the Divine Creator of the universe. You may find that concept equally terrifying and exciting. The great news is that God wants to communicate with us because, as an expression of His love for humanity, God wants to have a deeply personal, intimate relationship with each of us. With all of that in mind, any sincere prayer is a good prayer. Prayer is NOT a performance to be graded; it is a genuine point of connection.
We can also engage with God through one or more of the different forms of art. And don’t give me any of this “I’m not a creative person” nonsense. We are ALL born with creative interests and skills. You don’t have to share your artistic expressions with anyone; they can simply be a memento of the time you share with God. This lists shows some of the ways humanity has expressed its creativity throughout history. Which ways speak to you?
Architecture – From a birdhouse to a skyscraper, what you build can be an expression of your prayer life. Jesus was a carpenter; ask Him for building suggestions.
Dance / Body Movement – Your prayer might feel like a waltz or the jitterbug or a passionate tango or maybe something quite modern and interpretive. Or maybe yoga helps you get your heart, mind, and soul all coordinated and connecting with God.
Drama / Theater – God might lead you to process your thoughts by creating characters that represent your different perspectives on life in general or on a specific issue.
Literature – Believe it or not, when you share your prayer as a post on social media, you have created literature. Or maybe you offer your prayer to God as a poem you write with God.
Music – The fifth-century, North-African theologian St. Augustine of Hippo is credited with saying, “Those who sing pray twice.” I would extend the same sentiment to those who play musical instruments.
Needle Work – Whether it’s knitting, crochet, needle point, quilting, or sewing, needle work helps some people disconnect from the activity of life and reconnect with God.
Painting / Drawing – From frescos to mosaics to canvases small and large, images from the past 2,000 years have captured the prayer concerns of artists from around the world.
Photography / Cinema – As a way of sharing what stirs within them, some people create photo essays or short videos of their life or their observations of the world around them.
Sculpture – For me, this is the most daring, the most courageous art form. Every cut can be genius or disaster. But perhaps your relationship with God and/or your passion calls you to such boldness.
And so many others! The paper arts (ex: origami), gardening perhaps, and… whatever else you find helps you engage with God.
ALL of these different artistic expressions can help you AND people around you express your thanks and concerns, your joys and sorrows with God. ALL of these can be powerful connections with God IF we invite God to create and express with us and through us.
Some people like to “pray the Trinity” as a way of ensuring they are connecting with each part of the traditional Christian understanding of God’s multifaceted nature. If that works for you, excellent! But I offer this word of caution: do not think that you must have an equally balanced connection with the Trinity at all times.
If you have multiple siblings (or cousins, or grandparents, etc.), you understand that – while you may love all of them – you may feel closer to one than the other depending on the circumstances. I suggest the same is true as we connect with God. Some people are drawn to God as a father figure… terrific! Others love the idea of Jesus as their brother or best friend who walks with them daily… lovely! And yet others (like myself) instinctively gravitate to the Holy Spirit and all of the mystery and wonder that goes with it.
If you’re struggling to figure out how to get your prayer started, you might consider the collect (pronounced KOL-ekt) which is a short, focused prayer broken into five distinct sections: address, attribution, petition, purpose, and closing. For me, it’s easier to remember the format like this: “Hey God. You’re awesome! Here’s what I want. Here’s why I want it. Have a nice day!” Even a small child can (and often will) remember that!
Finally, you can always pray your emotions. Whatever you’re feeling, share that feeling with God. Ask God how you can better understand God’s nature or our relationship with God through your feelings and wait; wait for God to respond. Your prayer might be, “Hey Jesus, how would you deal with this feeling?”
As we heard in the verse from Romans, if you don’t have the right words, or enough words, or ANY words for your thoughts and feelings, let the Holy Spirit pray for you while God holds you wherever you are. This is the Kingdom of God, a place where all of us can intimately connect with a loving God who knows us better than we know ourselves. However you choose to connect with God, I encourage you to connect regularly – hopefully every day. Through our prayers, we invite our loving God to shape and RE-shape each of us, our families, and our community. What a beautiful dynamic! Amen? Amen!