Journey of prayer (2)

Journey of Prayer pt 2

Prayer is about GOD

Homework

How do we Pray

What do our prayers consist of

What words do we use to seek God

Why do we pray

.

Exodus 20:3 NIV

“You shall have no other gods before me.

and .

Psalm 65:1 NIV

Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled.

“Your mask spoke to my mask the other day at tea brightly though we chattered you never spoke to me

the other day at tea

brightly though we chattered

you never spoke to me

My mask spoke to your mask the way our faces do I had much to tell you then but I never spoke to you”

the way our faces do

I had much to tell you then

but I never spoke to you”

Brian Prendegast 1972

last week we looked prayer as a journey, having a rhythm like waves on the beach, and this week we continue to explore this.

One other example is found in the natural flow of our breathing - when we don’t think about it it happens naturally even when we are asleep

Having finished last week by looking at the birth of Jesus let us turn to the central aspect- the Cross.

It is in prayer that we travel to the foot of the cross in order to reconnect with the pain suffered on our behalf.so that we can appropriate in our lives the fulfillment of salvation- the sacrificial lamb taking our place.

The true realization that Gods power and living presence in our lives remains as a deep mystery

The whole activity of prayer takes place within the context of a life, deathand the Resurrection of Christ.

The context of a life out poured and renewed.

The sublime offeringof God to us - his Son- in order to release the intapped potential that lies within each of us.

Walking with God needs for us to be careful in the conclusion to his first letter John raises .

1 John 5:21 NIV

Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

there are pitfalls for us to avoid as we seek to maintain that right relationship with God in prayer.Many of the old prayers utilized the concept of the Trinity that is to pray

to the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Spirit.

The Lords prayer invokes the Father and the Spirit and while it does not directly mention Jesus, as he is the one teaching the disciples, in this we find his presence implicit in the words

Alongside the use of trinitian formula and verses of scripture as a focus point for taking a deep dive from the surface into the depths of Gods presence there are those who use music or Icons, knees,raising hands, or the cross. As long as our intent is to be with God an outside stimulus can be a good thing .

There is a famous rule for prayer.

Pray as you can- not as you can’t

To learn to pray is nothing more than learning to find God through Love rather than through knowledge and intellect. It is to enter a cloud of unknowing

Cyprian bishop of Carthage 248-258 puts it this way

Our prayer is public and for all - and when we pray we pray not for a single person, we pray for the whole, because we are all one.

The God of peace, the teacher of harmony who has taught us unity is willing that each should pray for all, accordingly as he carried us in him alone

Our prayer should be seen as a response to the prayer of Jesus already given.

.

John 17:20–21 NIV

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

It is Jesus who encourages us to approach the Father [21 times in NT]

Therefore keeping in mind that prayer is a journey towards maturity we can recap that Prayer is about

Rhythm

Insight and Vision

transformation

Caring and sharing in a process of love

A core aspect of pray is the ability to intercede, Our co operation with the Father in the work of reconciliation. Often our attempts appear to suffer not because we have faith issues, rather it is because we fail to be God centered.

It can be easy to move from a focus on God to one that gives the appearance of being self centered I have encounted people from whom the well intentioned prayer say for someone else’s healing his more about themselves and there own needs than for the person with a issue for prayer.

The real cost of pray is as had been said time to sit, to wait, to ponder God

as did Martin Luther in his famous quote

“I have that much to do every day, it is only achievable if I spend three hours in Prayer.

or as the psalmist says in .

Psalm 46:10 NIV

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

prayer involves people in caring and sharing the process of Love and Paul reminds us that faith without works is dead . Perhaps one of the best examples is the poem that comes out of the miracle on the river Kwai.

I sought my God, but my God I could not see- I sought my soul, but my soul I could not find - I sought my brother, and I found all three.

Prayer involves action - moment - growth - struggle - pain - fulfillment and peace.

At times the journey of prayer will appear easy and at times difficult, and like Jacob we may discover times where we need to wrestle with our own doubts but with the Father himself in order to deepen our understanding of the mystery, wonder, purpose and power found in that life given and that Life out-poured.

God be with you in your journey of PRAYER.