Session 3 - Petition (The Prayer Course)

  The Prayer Course

See my introduction to The Prayer Course here and my notes on Session 1 here, and Session 2 here.

The Prayer Course

Session 3: Petition

Key verse 

“Give us this day our daily bread” – Matthew 6:11 

 

Bible passages

Matthew 7:7-11, Matthew 18:19

 

Summary points

The Father loves to give good gifts.

Traffic lights: Yes, Wait, No.

Sometimes we need to “stack dominoes” and persevere in prayer

 What did you find most helpful or most challenging in the video? 

I’ve always been taught the power of the name of Jesus. I’ve mentioned in previous posts about ending prayer requests as a child with, “In Jesus’ mighty name”, but this was the first time I’d heard it likened to the “top dog” like asking for a manager when the sales assistant isn’t quite able to meet your need.

 To pray in the name of Jesus means to pray in line with His character – the power of going to the top. We do not need an intercessor or middle-man; we can go straight to God with our requests and petitions. What an honour! How many CEOs or Presidents of companies (or leaders of countries) do you know who will stand up and say, “don’t bother with my secretary, just come right into my office. In fact, here’s my home address and direct telephone number; I’m available to you whenever, come freely!” I’d venture that even amongst church leaders, there aren’t many who invite such open-door policies.

 I also found it interesting to note that when we pray for our daily bread, we don’t necessarily get it with all the bells and whistles. Sometimes it’s literally just enough to sustain us. As Pete said, it’s daily bread we’re asking for, we can’t expect Nutella on it every time! Of course, He is our father and He gives us good things, as stated in Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” but He doesn't spoil us or give us more than we are can handle at the time (look at the manna given to the Israelites in Exodus - He gave them just enough for each family's need; no more and no less, and they had to eat it that same day - it wouldn't keep. Literally giving them their daily bread).

The suggestion to pray incrementally was an eye-opener for me. Rather than praying all at once for the big things, break it down into actual, practical, steps. Being specific in our requests. It’s all well and good asking God to save my husband but how do I expect Him to do it?  Pray for a specific next step, rather than jumping to the top of the staircase. Instead of just praying the same old prayer of something along the lines of “Lord, let him come to know you”, I can pray specifically and incrementally. Today I might pray that a curiosity enters his mind and causes him to ponder for a moment. Increasing gradually until I can pray, “Lord, soften his heart so that he can accept all that he’s learned about You!” Baby steps! 

“Although God knows our need, he does still want us to articulate it to him”

  

Poppy pointed out that it’s often easier to believe God can change things in our hearts rather than believing in things can see in the world. Do you agree?

To an extent, yes, I agree. We are taught from a very early age that there are laws of nature and of science and that nothing can change them. We are taught to trust in these scientific and medical theories as hard facts, even above and beyond God’s capabilities. With this in mind, it’s hard for us to accept that God is able to make physical, tangible, changes in our world, almost as if we are placing restrictions on the God we otherwise proclaim to be “almighty”! Jesus Himself said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Changes within ourselves and our own hearts are perhaps more acceptable to our human minds. If we are praying that God will bless us with a particular skill or quality (patience, for example), there is always an element of us being able to work on this in our own strength, and therefore we are more willing to believe that if we can do it, God can too. We are always more willing to believe that something is possible if we have seen, witnessed, or experienced it before. I’ve seen some very patient and loving people in my life, but I’ve never witnessed a severed limb re-grow itself.  Jeremiah 32:27 tells us that there is nothing that is above God’s capabilities, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?” – No, not even laws of science can restrict God!

  

How often do you ask God for what you want as well as what you need?

A lot! It’s easy to mix them up or merge them, sometimes. My children often say to me, “Mummy, I NEED this toy” or “I really really NEED a biscuit” – actually, son, you don’t need it; you want it! Obviously, they’re still very small children so it’s understandable that they don’t yet have a grasp of the urgency of “need” as opposed to the desires of “want”. Similarly, if they have a fever and I try to administer medicine to them, they’ll often say, “No, I don’t want it” – sorry, kid. You might not want it but you need it! In that same way, we can often be confused as to what we actually need, versus what we want. Sometimes our desires are so strong that we have an ache for them and they can masquerade as needs. I’m grateful for a God who knows my needs even when I don’t, as described in Matthew 6:8, “[…] for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” and that, thanks to the grace He freely gives to us, I can come to Him as a beloved daughter and ask for those "extra" things that I may not need but I want, and He loves me so much that He wants to give these great gifts!

  

Pete uses the traffic light analogy to describe different ways God responds to our prayers:
Green: Yes
Amber: Wait / Persevere
Red: No

Are you experiencing a “green”, “amber” or “red” response to any specific prayers at the moment?

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? Let me share a recent situation as an anecdote:

A couple of weeks ago, we went, with our three children, and my parents, to Chester Zoo. Our car had had some issues with the battery going flat but we thought that a good two-hour journey each way would give it a bit of a charge after being sat on the driveway, hardly used, during lockdown. As I was driving, I noticed that it seemed to be struggling up the inclines (anyone who has driven over the Snake Pass towards Manchester will know how nerve-wracking it can be, even in a healthy car!) I satisfied myself that it was probably just the weight of a full 7-seater, but after our track record of car issues over this last 12 months, I prayed before our journey and all the way there, that we would be safe in our car and it would survive the trip!

 We arrived and had a lovely day. In the car park, I mentioned to my husband that the back offside tyre was looking a bit bald and we’d need to replace it soon. We set off and pretty soon, Noah needed to use the bathroom so we pulled into the services at Chester, Noah went to the toilet and we stopped for a McDonalds since we wouldn’t be home in time for tea. Approaching the car with arms full of fast food, I noticed that the same back tyre could do with some air but we were keen to get home as close to our bedtime routine as possible, so we said, “It’s probably OK, we’ll fill it in the morning.”

 No sooner had we re-joined the motorway, than we heard a strange sound and pulled up on the hard shoulder. We saw that that same offside back tyre was completely flat. We had no spare. To cut a very long story a little bit shorter, our roadside assistance company were able to taxi us and tow our car back to the services where a tyre company was waiting to fit a new tyre for us. When he showed us the old tyre, he told us that we were very lucky as there was a massive hole on the inside wall and being on the motorway, it could have blown and had absolutely devastating consequences.

 

I suppose that my reason for sharing this story, other than just to have written it out somewhere, is to illustrate that sometimes, God answers our prayers in a very different way than we expect. When we were sitting on the hard shoulder waiting in fear, I remember thinking to myself, “what kind of protection is this, Lord? I asked You to have Your hand over us and protect us on this journey and now we’ve broken down on the busiest and most dangerous part of one of the biggest motorways in the country!” What I didn’t realise, though, was that only a couple of hundred yards down the road, there was no hard shoulder due to road works, and had we broken down there, we’d have been in a much more dangerous position. If we hadn’t come to a safe stop and realised that the tyre was flat, it might have blown at 70mph in the middle of a fast flow of traffic containing huge lorries and trucks.

 God did answer my prayer, and He did have His hand on us that day. I just couldn’t see it at that moment, with my blinders of fear and stress obstructing the view.

 

 It is so important to pray the promises of God: Is there a specific promise that relates to the situation? 

This is where an intimate knowledge of God’s word comes in useful! If you’re in a season of waiting or unanswered prayer, to hold on to God’s love and promises. Don’t doubt it. Persevere in prayer! It’s no secret that I’ve been in an “amber” season in waiting for my husband’s salvation. I’ve prayed so hard and for so long that it would be so easy to just give up and assume that God has given me a red light. This is not the case. I know that Riki’s salvation is in line with God’s will because as it tells us in 1 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” – The Lord will fulfil this prayer in His own timing and not before. In the meantime, I’ll persevere in petition and try to hand it over into His capable hands, because, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” (1 John 5:14)

 

Pete gave me such hope when he shared the story of Queen Bertha of Kent from the 6^th century, who prayed every single day for SEVENTEEN years, for her husband, Ethelbert’s, salvation. I’m only on eleven years, so there’s time yet! Ethelbert’s salvation meant that the gospel spread across England and it later officially became a Christian country. What an amazing testimony, and it was imperative that it came into fruition in the right timing; frustrating as it must have been for old Bertha. I feel you, Bertha!

 

 

Reflections on Sarah - Faithful or Faithless?

I was invited to participate in the weekly email service for my Church - they had been working through the Old Testament and each choosing a character to reflect upon, using the headings of "Who", "Where", "When", "Why", and "What can we learn?"

I chose Sarai/Sarah as I had been studying her in my personal Bible study time recently. 

I've been honoured to have been asked to provide some children's craft activities to go along with the stories or characters each week throughout the Lockdown, and so my son and I also made a "touchy feely" textured picture to go with this story.  You can watch it here. 

Sarah - Faithful or Faithless?

WHO
Sarai was the wife of Abram (Abraham), ten years his junior and, sharing a father but not a mother (Genesis 20:12), was also his half-sister through Terah.
Sarai means “contentious” which speaks to her character – she was fierce, impassioned, argumentative, disagreeable – these attributes we will see in her as her story unfolds; both toward Hagar, and even to God Himself.

Sarai is described as being beautiful in Genesis 12:11. In fact, in the Jewish Talmud, legend states that, “all people compared to Sarah are like a monkey compared to a human” (Bava Batra 58a).
Abram’s name means “Father”, which is ironic, considering Sarai’s state of barrenness; however, in Genesis 17:15, Sarai’s name was changed to Sarah, implying a higher status, a healing of her infertility, and a confirmation of her role in the Covenantal Promise. The very fact that Sarah was given a new name is something of significance. God didn’t change names flippantly, and this is the only account in the Bible of a woman’s name being changed.

WHERE
Sarai was born in Ur of the Chaldees, thought to be in modern-day Iraq. The couple were described as being “tent-dwellers”; temporary residents, sojourning wherever they went but never making it their home – they knew that their goal destination was not of this world. Together they travelled through Haran, Canaan, and Egypt. Her final resting place was the Cave of Machpelah, now known as the Cave of the Patriarchs, in Hebron. This was a great demonstration of faith in God’s promise – she was buried in a land in which, at the time, they were still strangers.

WHEN
It is difficult to accurately estimate the timeline of Genesis and this is the topic of many heated debates amongst Bible scholars and theologians much more learned than myself. It is theorised that they lived around 2040 BC. Sarai’s first mention is in Genesis 11:29 and she lived to the age of 127 years (Genesis 23:1). Sarah is the only woman in the entire Bible whose age is recorded at the time of her death. This again is significant as it denotes how highly she was regarded in the Bible. Interestingly we don't have Biblical evidence of this information for Mary, mother of Jesus or any of the other women highly regarded by modern man.

WHAT
Sarah’s story is one of heartache and longing; of doubt and disbelief; but also, one of hope and faith in the Lord.
In Genesis 12:3 the Lord tells Abram, “in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed”. Ten years passed and Sarai still did not become pregnant. They became discouraged and looked for a way to fulfil God’s promise in their own effort. 

Invitation to pause and think. How have you tried to "help" God in the past? Does God ever need our help?

Sarai offered her handmaid, Hagar, to Abram in order for him to manufacture the promised progeny himself, apart from God. Just as Adam heeded the unwise persuasion of Eve, Abram accepted Sarai’s suggestion. In the same way that Adam’s sin caused untold damage for the future of mankind, Abram’s sinful act of unbelief also proved to be a great source of strife for generations to come. This is an illustration that one act of unbelief can have long-lasting ramifications, as can one act of believing faith. Sarai later realised her wrongdoing and in an act of defiance and remorse, sent away Hagar and Ishmael. In Genesis 21:12, Abraham had been struggling with guilt in sending them away but God spoke to Abraham and told him to heed Sarah’s voice, “in all that Sarah has said to you, do what she asks, for in Isaac shall your posterity be called”.

Sarah was the recipient of one of God’s first and most remarkable miracles of restoration. Not only did He open her womb in order for her to conceive Isaac, this in itself being remarkable as she had already surpassed childbearing age, presumably having already gone through the physical and hormonal effects of menopause, but God also rejuvenated her youth, giving her the physical strength to carry, birth, and nurse her promised infant. Even though they were “as good as dead”, Sarah and Abraham became parents, both physical and spiritual, to descendants as "numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore." (Genesis 22:17). 

Galatians 4:23 displays Sarah as a picture of the Covenant of Grace. She is the free woman, who brought forth a child of divine promise, as opposed to Hagar, a picture of the Covenant of Law, who brought forth the children of slaves. Indeed, through the grace of God, we too can be counted as descendants of the free woman, “Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain” (Isaiah 51:2). 

Invitation to pause and think.  Consider what that means, to be a child of freedom and not slavery - to be released from an unobtainable standard or law and instead receive the gift of grace.

WHY
Sarai was twice taken into a king’s harem as a result of Abram’s lack of faith in God’s protection. However, so important was she in the Lord’s plan of redemption, that He intervened in order to protect her womb from defilement (Genesis 12:17, 20:3) – she was to bring forth the son of promise, Isaac, who would eventually bring forth the Son of God; the “greater Isaac”; the Messiah. 

Invitation to pause and think.  Looking back, has God ever intervened in your life or situation for a purpose greater than your understanding at the time?

In Genesis 17, some 25 years after the Covenant was promised, and 13 years of no recorded communication with God, the Lord appeared to Abraham once more, and specifically included Sarai in the Covenant promise. Her name was changed from Sarai to Sarah - where Sarai means “My Princess”, Sarah means “Princess”, signifying the princess of a multitude without restriction. God categorically stated “I will bless her and give you a son also by her” repeating it for clarity and emphasis, “Yes, I will bless her and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her” (Genesis 17:16). Yes, Sarah was blessed and would become a royal princess! God later echoed this to Isaac, saying in Genesis 26:4, “and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” This Seed is Jesus Christ our Messiah, Jesus Christ our Redeemer!

WHAT CAN WE LEARN?
Sarah is often thought of as the embodiment of fear and doubt, however I would venture that her legacy is one of courage, of hope, and of faith.
She left behind her wealthy family to follow Abram into a land that he did not possess or even know where it was! She showed both obedience and courageous, expectant faith.

We are told twice in the Bible to look to Sarah as an example of a godly woman. First, in Isaiah 51:1-2 and then in 1 Peter 3:3-6, which says “for this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.” (1 Peter 3:5-6)
She is also counted in the Hebrews Hall of Faith: “And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.” (Hebrews 11:11)

In Genesis 18:12-13 Sarah laughed inwardly and very indelicately stated her disbelief that she would bear a child naturally. Of course, the Lord heard and chastised her accordingly. Even though her name had been changed and she was a new creation, Sarah backslid into the impassioned and disagreeable Sarai that she once was, and in doing so, showed us that it is all too easy to slip back into our old selves. This is something that Jacob would struggle with later, as he was given the new identity of Israel, but through his lack of faith, slipped back into Jacob all too often.

Invitation to pause and think.  We are new creations in Christ but how often do we fall back into our old ways? Is there a sin or a habit that you struggle to break? A memory or regret that the enemy uses against you? Do you fall into pridefulness, doubt, or gossip?

I am impatient. I try to “help God” and usually cause more of a hindrance. I can be blunt and lack control over my tongue. I am very similar to Sarai in many ways. Don’t worry though, the Lord still used these people mightily and He can use us too, even when we have slippery moments of our own!

The key to Sarah’s success was that she considered God faithful, even when she herself was not. Even when we are weak, we can put our hope in God who is faithful beyond comprehension, and when things seem impossible to us in the flesh, we can follow Sarah’s example and know that there is no obstacle too hard for God to overcome.

Invitation to pause and think about your own situation. Perhaps it seems impossible. Give it to God. There is nothing, no absolutely nothing, that is too difficult for Him! Give Him your burden and let Him give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Session 2 - Adoration (The Prayer Course)

 The Prayer Course

See my introduction to The Prayer Course here and my notes on Session 1 here.

The Prayer Course

Session 2: Adoration

 

What did you find most helpful or most challenging in the video?

I was very convicted by the notion of using God as a slot machine; how often do I forget or not have it on my mind to pray for several days and then come to Him, cap in hand, asking for something or other?im, cap in hand, asking for something.

 I enjoyed the illustration of the microscope and the telescope. The idea that when we worship, we swap our microscope for a telescope; we no longer focus entirely on a tiny area in front of us but we look up into the vast expanse and notice that there is something greater than we are. Psalm 8:3 says, “When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place” – how would we ever know this if we never took our eyes away from the little microscope and spent a moment discovering and enjoying God’s vast creation all around us?!

 From the session notes, I particularly enjoyed the points on praying creatively. I never realised before that my poetry is my own offering of creative prayer, as, I suppose, are my drawings. Some of my poems are so raw, I consider them as having written themselves, however I would never make that claim legitimately in fear of it being misconstrued as meaning some kind of occultist “spirit-writing” practice. No, I simply mean that I’ve been in moments of absolute worship, or need, or whatever, and I’ve sat with my notebook and began writing. Words flowed through my pen, right from the very depths of my being, seeming to bypass my brain and conscious thoughts, and when I looked down, there was a complete poem before my eyes. Obviously, I wrote them, but I didn’t sit down “to” write it, nor did I try to write it in terms of searching for words or rhymes (most of my poetry doesn’t rhyme for this very reason). This is why I very rarely edit my poetry. They’re the words my lips can’t speak; the prayers my heart prays when my mind can’t find the words. They’re a direct offering from my soul to God’s.

 

Why do you think that we most often associate prayer with asking, rather than worship and adoration?

I think that in this modern day and generation, we humans have become much more self-absorbed than ever before. We are told in the media and society that we are important and that our own happiness and beliefs are more valid than anyone else’s. We are offended at the tiniest thing, and we are fighting amongst ourselves for superiority (oftentimes masked under the guise of equality). We are given permission to be selfish and proud, and our struggles are allowed to define us. Social media is littered with insincere “faceplant” and “ashamed” emojis (no judgement; I overuse them, myself!) and we joke about our #FirstWorldProblems when our hairdryer blows up or the local artisan deli doesn’t have the spelt rye bread we like.

We want what we want, and we want it now, with hardly a please or thankyou in sight, much less a display of adoration or worship.

 

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions

with all kinds of prayers and requests”

-Ephesians 6:18

 Whilst I believe that God is interested in the tiniest concerns that we have, and He enjoys our sharing of the inconsequential things as much as the earth-shattering things, I fear that we have started to lose sense of the reverence we owe to Him. As described in the accompanying video for this session, we risk treating the Almighty God as our Magic8 Ball or ethereal slot machine.

                              “In commanding us to glorify him, God is inviting us to enjoy him”

– C.S.Lewis

 

Do you enjoy spending time with God? When are the times that prayer feels most enjoyable?

I suppose that the times I actively enjoy my prayer time are when I’m thanking the Lord for something specific. I do struggle with prayers because I am so easily distracted or, as happens increasingly often in all aspects of my life lately, I struggle to find the right words and end up losing my train of thought. If I’m specifically coming to God with a prayer of thanksgiving, I know what I want to say and why, and I feel I can just gush about how awesome and wonderful He is without having to think too hard.

 Psalm 46:10 tells us to, “Be still, and know that I am God!” and Psalm 37:7 tells us to “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him”. Other translations of these verses use the words: ”Be silent”, “Cease striving”, “Be in awe”, “Be patient”, “Wait patiently”, “Surrender yourself”, and “Let go [of your concerns]”. Essentially, we are told to stop looking through the microscope of our own lives and instead, look through the telescope; focus our attention on God.

I struggle to “be still” and meditate on the Lord. Probably a causality of this modern, fast-paced, self-absorbed life we live in, but my mind is constantly racing. Scenarios, plans, memories, I even practice future conversations or replay old social encounters in my mind, analysing them for no apparent reason. Even when I do actively try to sit and empty my mind and focus on God and what He might be trying to share with me, distractions pop up and my imagination takes over. I don’t think I’ve ever been still enough to hear from God.

Pete had some good advice in the video for overcoming distraction in our prayer time: Use a short and simple “prayer phrase” and repeat it to displace any distractions that come up, and help you to become aware of the presence of God. He said that distractions happen to everyone, but the best way to overcome them is to wait it out: sit still and wait. Stay in that place of stillness. Wait for the distraction to pass you by like a speeding car passing you by on the motorway. It will pass, and then you’re free to continue on your way.

 I really enjoyed the session notes on Christian meditation, particularly the description of Ignatiius of Loyola’s spiritual exercise where we are encouraged to use our imagination to place ourselves in a scene in the bible and take note of all of our senses – what do we hear, see, taste, smell, feel? Follow this exercise by responding in worship and praying out our love for the Lord. Use our body as an offering; bow our heads, kneel, raise our hands, whatever we feel appropriate, and then reflect on anything the Lord may be revealing or unveiling to us about His character and how we are being changed by it.

(Side note: I have never really been able to imagine what life was like in Jesus’ time, because life was so vastly different. I never understood what life was like for the people of that time and culture – what was so bad about tax collectors? Why did the Roman oppression change anything? Why were fish so important? What was the deal with Pharisees and Sadducees? – If this is where you’re at, please let me encourage you to watch The Chosen series. It by no means replaces scripture, and there are creative liberties taken (all the while remaining true and sympathetic to biblical and cultural-historical truth) but it really helped me to place myself in that time and place. It suddenly brought those scriptures to life and I now have a much deeper understanding and the ability to imagine myself in that place. I can’t recommend it enough, and no, I’m not affiliated with the series in any way, I just love it!)

"Christian meditation" is the listening side of an interactive relationship between ourselves and God. It is the place where we allow our souls to gaze upon God and deepen our intimacy and grow in reverent awe as we contemplate the Lord’s glory. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” If meditating on the glory of Jesus will lead us to transform into His image, then shouldn’t we all, as Christians, be doing it?

  

 Pete says that prayer is primarily about relationship with God: “It’s relational, not transactional”. How does this change your perspective of coming to God in prayer?

In the video, Pete gave an example of his son coming and just wanting to love on him for a few minutes, in a state of “being”, rather than “doing”. This reminded me of my own children – my eldest will go out of his way to look for heart shaped things and give them to me. I’ve never asked him to. If he has a little bag of Haribo sweets, he will save one of the heart shaped jelly sweets for me – I’ve never told him that they’re my favourites – he just does it because he wants to; it’s a tangible display of his love and affection, even when that means that he’ll only be left with 4 or 5 of his own to eat.

Pete also brought forward the idea of a marriage – generally speaking, when a couple is married, they often have children and create a home and family together, but this is not the reason they get married. The primary aim is because they want to spend time together – they enjoy each other’s company and want to continue enjoying one another for the rest of their lives. The primary aim of entering into a relationship and/or a marriage is not to get something out of it but to enjoy and experience it.

 I’ll admit that there have been times where I’ve sat and worried about what my ulterior motive is for loving and worshipping God. Without going off on a tangent, because I feel that this is probably worthy of its own post, but this is something I’ve pondered many times over the years. I’ve found myself questioning my character and even the depth of my faith and salvation when I considered that my main aim in following Jesus was simply so that I don’t go to hell when I die. Of course, this is not true. Yes, salvation from judgement and damnation is a very real benefit of pledging myself to God but I can’t say with any kind of conviction that this is my only, or even my primary, motive.

 

In the Acts passage, the early church put their own crisis into perspective by worshipping. What are the practical things could you do this week to foster an attitude of worship in your daily routine?

Being more aware would be a good starting point! Just being more aware of my surroundings and what is happening in my life. I do try to “count my blessings” and I remember reading something many years ago along the lines of, “If you woke up tomorrow with only the things you thanked God for today, what would you be left with?” This really resonated with me and I do actively try to remain in a state of awareness and thankfulness for the many blessings in my life; from the specific and great blessings such as my children and my family, right down to the things we often take for granted, such as having a roof over my head and shoes on my feet, and the fact that I was born into a free and well-developed country. It’s so important to acknowledge our blessings and rejoice, even when it feels like a chore to do it.

 Psalm 8 is a wonderful prayer of worship and reflection of all that God has done and given to us, beginning and ending with the same, “O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth” – I think that I will try to use this phrase in my own worship. There’s a song by Kari Jobe called “How Majestic” where she sings over and over, “How majestic is Your name? How Majestic is Your name? Powerful. Wonderful. You’re the Lord of all. How majestic is Your name?” – I love this song because I find it so freeing. I don’t have to think about the next verse or the words. I don’t even join in with the words for the most part; instead I just use it as a vehicle for me to focus on His awesomeness.

 Of course, when we pray the Psalm 8 way, we run the risk of telling God what He already knows, but I think that’s okay. Reminding God of His works and in doing so, reminding ourselves of all He has done, is a wonderful act of worship and adoration – we are telling Him, “Lord, I remember that you did this. I remind myself of your majesty and your power regularly. I am in awe of You. I know You!” In Acts 4:24-30, as Pete shared in the video, the disciples prayed a prayer of boldness, attesting to the greatness of God; telling Him what He had done and what He already knew, and yet in verse 31, it is written, “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” – Wow! Telling God what He already knows is a powerful way to pray. I’m definitely going to start doing this!

 I'm ashamed to say that I’ve never actually read the Psalms all the way through – I’ve picked at them and may have read them all at some time or other but never consciously. I suppose you could say I use them as an occasional “picky” snack. But why?! This is the prayer book of Jesus! We should be devouring this and using the Psalms as valuable weapons in our prayer arsenal. The Psalms are written for us to read aloud, and not skim through. They are able to train us in a ‘conversion of language’ where instead of talking about God, we talk to Him. Indeed, Jesus considered them so valuable that He memorised and even recited them on the cross. I have a new-found reverence and admiration for the Psalms now and I’m going to start incorporating them into my daily reading and prayer time.

 

New Page Alert!

I've spent a little time tidying up my Pages (those links just under the title banner: About Me, Disclaimer, Contact Me, etc) and making them a little more neat and easy to read, as well as updating the information in them to align better with where I'm currently at.

I've removed the My Journey page and just condensed it into the About Me section, removing any unnecessary details.

I've also added a new one, What I Believe, as I noticed that the first thing I looked for on any website was some kind of statement of faith.

Have a little navigate around and see if it works or if you preferred it before!

Session 1 - Why Pray? (The Prayer Course)

The Prayer Course

See my introduction to The Prayer Course here.

Session 1: Why Pray?

 

What did you find most helpful or most challenging in the video?

·         I found the analogy of the toolbox useful. So often we consider prayer as a time to apologise, to thank, and to ask for things. This concept of utilising many different prayer tools for different purposes, and becoming a master craftsman in the art of prayer is a useful illustration.                                                                                                                     

·         The permission to “pray simply” – Too often we think that we need to come before the Lord and have an essay-length prayer with lots of scriptural references, big words, or profound content. Sometimes it can be as simple as taking a moment to look around us and say, “Hey, good job on the tree, Lord!”

I remember when I was first engaged and I would be distracted by the sparkliness of my ring. I remember thanking the Lord for it and saying, “Lord, I just love sparkles!” (post  here). At the time I was making a particular effort to just be in conversation with God throughout the day, rather than setting aside a specific “time for prayer”. I’m not sure when or why that stopped but at some point, it did and I’m keen to get back to it. At times I wondered if I was treating Him too friendly and losing my reverential fear for the Almighty, but I was reminded that even though He is a mighty King and Judge of the world, He is my Father, and anything I want to talk with Him about, He cares and wants to hear, because He loves and delights in me - even in my mundane and boring life:

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,

do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through him”

Colossians 3:17

 

·         The idea of role-playing before God gave me pause for thought. How many times do we put on our best voice and start our prayer with a formal salutation; “Dear God,”? How many times do we say the wrong word or stifle a yawn or sneeze, and putting on our best newsreader face, say, “Sorry about that, Lord!” – Anybody? Or is it just me?!

·         The Lord’s Prayer – I often think of it as an actual prayer rather than a model or template. This means that I get stuck into a rut and find myself being complacent; just reciting words I’ve recited forever without ever giving them a real meaning or any kind of power. The session notes for this session had a helpful suggestion from Timothy Jones, “To cultivate a deeper prayer life all you have to do is say the Lord’s Prayer, but take an hour to do it.” – This is a great idea. To separate each section of the Lord’s Prayer, almost like a heading, and using it as a prompt to pray for specific areas.

 

What do you find difficult about prayer? What do you find easy? Why do you think prayer can often feel hard?

It can feel like a chore so I get bored. Generally, I pray in bed, and I fall asleep a minute or two in, almost every time. I feel like I pray the same prayer every night. As I stated above, I find that our generic, recitative, or basic prayers are so dull and repetitive – imagine if I only ever wanted to talk to my husband or friend about the same thing every single day. I need to completely overhaul my prayer life and my whole attitude to and understanding of prayer.

 

Pete says the best piece of advice is to “Keep it simple, keep it real and keep it up.”

 

Keep it simple: “your prayer life is at its best at its simplest”

What do you mostly talk to God about?

Mostly, I thank Him for the blessings in my life, namely my children; my husband and immediate family; and our home. I try to remember my blessings through the day and thank God for them as and when I’m reminded of something – for instance this morning as I was brushing my teeth, I thanked the Lord that I am fortunate enough to have the electric to power my toothbrush, the clean running water to rinse, and the financial provision to even purchase a toothbrush and toothpaste where some in society simply can’t afford the luxury of being able to cater to basic human needs.

Most often, I pray in desperate petition for the Lord to call my husband to Himself. I long for the day where I know that I come second in his life, only to God. It would be true to say that my prayers for my husband’s salvation amount to the most in terms of quantity, length, and fervency of prayer.

Keep it real: “Don’t role-play before God”

Do you feel like you have to act a certain way before God when you pray? Why or why not?

I did have an awakening many years ago where I realised that I don’t need to come to the Lord as a distant stranger or a lowly servant. I come to Him as His beloved daughter and I think that my prayer style does generally reflect that. Where I once felt that I had to speak in a formal, letter writing style, in order to show Him reverence, I now feel that perhaps I might have come too far the other side and employ too casual a tone at times.

As a child, we were taught to bow our heads and close our eyes, and clasp our hands in front of us when we pray. I have to admit that I very rarely do this now. Occasionally, when I don’t have to be alert for our three children, I’ll close my eyes but that’s more of a preventative measure as I am very easily distracted (usually by shiny or sparkly things like my engagement ring!) Depending on the fervency of my prayer, I may still adopt the typical “prayer” pose, or even kneel or prostrate myself before God. Indeed, this is where I first encountered Him as real and physical God; my face buried deep in the tear-soaked carpet, a broken and desperate young woman, pleading with Him to show me He is real, to direct me, and to save me from the suffering I was enduring when I couldn’t find a way in my own strength. To feel His loving arms envelop me and welcome me back into His fold.

I also remember as a child when I was conflicted about how to end my prayer (post here). I had heard many different sign-offs and I didn’t know which was appropriate when. Sometimes a simple, “Amen” seemed to suffice, other times people ended with, “in Jesus’ name, amen” or even, “In Jesus’ mighty name”. Other times by reciting the Lord’s Prayer, but then I wasn’t sure whether I had to say “Amen” again after the, “Forever and ever, amen” or if the first sufficed. Growing up in church but not really having a personal understanding of God, or the wisdom of a more mature Christian, is tough!

So, no. I don’t particularly feel that there is a “correct” way to pray. I believe that God wants to speak with us; He longs for us to call upon Him and for us to invite Him in and share our lives with Him. I believe that He will hear any prayer we offer up, whether we are on our knees our behind the steering wheel on the way to work. Whether our eyes are shut and hands clasped or we’re in the middle of washing the dishes. Whether we remember to conclude with “In Jesus’ name, amen” or we just fall asleep mid-sentence. He will hear us and take joy in our conversing with Him. Psalm 34:15 tells us that, “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry”. It doesn’t tell us that we must employ a specific formula, but it can’t hurt to analyse and evaluate our method from time to time.

 

Keep it up: “Don’t give up praying too soon”

Do you find it challenging to persevere in prayer? How can we be encouraged to keep going?

In an everyday sense, I fall asleep almost every night when I try to pray in bed. This has been a challenge for me for as long as I can remember. On the one hand, I can’t imagine that God is angered by my falling asleep, just as I am not angered when my children feel so comforted and safe in my presence that they fall asleep on my chest. On the other hand, I can’t imagine that my husband would be too pleased if I fell asleep mid-sentence every day! I suppose that getting out of bed and kneeling might actually be useful in this situation!

It might be worth me considering a change in my routine. Rather than thinking of my bedtime prayer as my “main” prayer time, to set aside a specific moment every day to just have a quick, quiet moment alone with God in prayer. One suggestion from the session notes was to set a reminder on our phones to pray the Lord’s Prayer at midday every day. No matter what else we are doing, just interrupt our routine with a moment to focus on God and in doing so, allow it to shape our lives.

 I catch myself occasionally saying that I don’t have time to set aside a quiet time every day – I have three small children and finding time alone to go to the bathroom is a feat, but I did feel convicted by a statement from the session notes by George Sweeting who said that, “If we don’t maintain a quiet time each day, it’s not really because we are too busy; it’s because we do not feel it is important enough. Late nights kill the quiet time… Quiet time is not just a helpful idea; it is absolutely necessary to spiritual growth.”

We are even instructed in Scripture to find and protect this quiet time, in Matthew 6:6,

“Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t

be tempted to role-play before God.

Just be there as simply and honestly as you

can manage. The focus will shift from you

to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.” 

This is echoed several times throughout scripture, with notable verses coming from: 2 Kings 4:33, “So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.”; Isaiah 26:20, “Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourselves a little while until the wrath has passed.”; and Acts 9:40, “Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, "Tabitha, get up!" She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up”. Jesus Himself even retired to a secluded spot to pray, from Matthew 14:23, “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.” And again, in Matthew 26:36, “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder”.

I’m sure that I could find a moment or two to steal away and connect with my Almighty Father instead of scrolling idly through my Facebook feed or being drawn into theological debates with no reason or necessity.

In a more general sense, I do feel that I give up too quickly if I don't feel that the Lord is answering me. It's no secret that I have been praying for my husband's salvation since pretty much the day we met. I've tried to "help God", and I've cried and pouted, and there have been seasons where I just gave up, but in doing so, I actually gave up praying altogether. 

I have never doubted God, and my faith has never wavered, but there was a time a couple of years ago where I just felt so alone. I had been praying so hard and so fervently for my friend's little toddler who was incredibly sick, and I truly believed that God would hear the hundreds of people praying for him, and would heal and deliver him. When he passed away, I was absolutely devastated and couldn't believe it. 

Less than a week later, my mum's best friend, a woman I had known since the day I was born, and who helped to shape me into the person I am, had a huge cardiac arrest and was in the hospital. I got the phone call at 5am and was with the family in the waiting room within the hour. I prayed all the way there, I prayed almost unceasingly for days and I felt that God would save her, and that this would be an incredible testimony. I stood around her bedside, all the family holding hands as we surrounded her, and I prayed that she would take a breath when the machines were turned off. She didn't, and I felt so betrayed by my God. I knew He was there and that He heard me, yet I felt that my prayers were futile and wondered, "What is the point?" I didn't pray for a while after that, and when I did, it wasn't to ask for anything, because I didn't think there was any point. My prayer life was definitely stifled by those experiences and I felt that I had a kind of trust to rebuild, both in God and in myself - what if I'm not good enough of a prayer warrior to be able to intercede? If I was more spiritual, would they have survived?

 

Split into small groups, and share one way you’d like to grow in prayer and your relationship with God over the course.

I would like for prayer to be as natural to me as breathing. For my very first thought in response to any of life’s events – good or bad – to be to bring it to the Lord. I would hope to be able to hear His responses, whether as in an audible voice, an obvious stirring in my Spirit, or some other way – I just want to feel heard and acknowledged. I would love to feel confident enough to pray out loud – either in church or just at home. Other than a basic rhyming prayer with the kids or praying with my 4 year old that Jesus would keep him safe (he’s going through a bit of a fear of the dark stage), I don’t ever pray aloud, and I think that vocalising our prayers somehow gives them more power, so I wish I could do that.