Jesus’ disciples came to Him and asked Him to teach them how to pray. To be able to communicate with the Lord of the Universe is a way to open our minds to an understanding of our origins, being and future. We are curious creatures. We want to know. Real prayer is not a Santa Claus list of needs and wants. Real prayer is the melding of our finite minds with the infinite mind of God Himself.
Each of us brings to any relationship a history of us. For me to truly know you I must know your parents, your siblings, your culture, and your sins. It is all these and more that make us us. Your prayer life and mine are very different. It would be erroneous for me to describe to you my prayer life and say, “This is the way to do it.” All I can tell you is this is how prayer works or doesn’t work for me. Prayer is as unique as DNA is unique to each of us. As a forensic scientist can identify us by our particular code so God can identify us by our yearnings and cries. He does not need us to begin each prayer with, “Dear God, this is ….. calling.” He knows who is calling Him because He knows the very distinctness of our content.
Paul wrote, “When I was a child I thought as a child.” He could have said, “When I was a child I prayed as a child. But now that I am a man I pray like a man.” Jesus said, “We have not because we ask not.” Ask. Don’t beg. The one who knows you better than you know you, hears and will open to you what you really need.
Written by Roger Bothwell on August 28, 2015
Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
rogerbothwell.org