One of the things that I've been working on, been trying to think about in a better way is my prayer. Something that God has been changing in me is my whole idea or concept rather of prayer. Something we as Americans have no concept of is royalty. We have no concept of the majesty of a King or the reverence that a King requires. We have ZERO understanding of what it means to deny person hood in the presence of someone elite.
Oh, how we can feign such reverence, mostly driven by fear or a desire to be a man-pleaser. But true worship can never come from that place. For it's not worship at all, but rather a meaningless and insignificant demonstration of self-preservation. Good Kings and God know this and observe it well.
Something that's on my mind is where I pray, when I pray and how I pray, much more so than what I pray about. The content of my request is known to God already. Sometimes I struggle with how to package what I really want to say, but of more import and for the design of this post, I think it better to suggest what is the framework for reverential prayer.
I've heard it taught, and find it well, so I will repeat. Pray to God, about God, where God is and who he is.
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be THY Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. (now for our supplication) give us, this day, our daily bread. Later Christ talks about himself as bread and his flesh needing to be consumed in order to have eternal life. Coincidence? No I think not.
When I pray, I need to realize that I've been invited to enter the courts of the Heavenly realms and place my petition before the King. THE KING. The first thing that always occurs to me in that place is...
1. What could I possibly have need of that would be important enough to ask my Father for? For out of my respect of him and love him, I desire to bring only that which I know begs his attention and makes me careful to consider how I would ask, when I ask, where I ask and then and least importantly, what I ask for.
I think for me, when I get there, when I get to feel that type of reverence, I suddenly realize that all I've ever asked for and didn't has already been provided and I'm left with "I love you" on my tongue instead of "can I have?" I enjoy that level of worship.
2. I've been placed before a king, not only a king, but THE KING. He's marvelous, powerful, just and great. How would I carry myself if I saw such a thing before my eyes? Would I ramble "dearloawdnhevnly father" all in one syllable? Or would I select my words carefully? Not ramble? Think out what I want to say before I say it? Not endlessly repeat the well known, tried and true colloquialisms of western prayer?
Something that has changed my prayer has been the reading of the Psalms. Look how David and the other Psalmists treat God.
Oh God, whom there is none beside, who can offer you counsel? To whom are you indebted, are there any who can instruct you? What are you lacking? What is MAN! that you would be aware of him?
MAN! I don't know about you, but God's Spirit turns the lights on for me there. I've never prayed so strongly as when I repeat the prayers of those who know God best...and to be quite honest, it always seems more worshipful rather than me repeating something I'm familiar with that feigns reverence but lacks power.
God IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS! Doesn't he deserve to be spoken to like a King?
No comments:
Post a Comment