Get Rid of the Dys in Dysfunctional Prayer

I just read a blog post provocatively titled "Why You Should Stop Praying." I think it is worth the read and makes a couple of good points worth noting, but there is some caution required here.

One great point Nicolle makes in this blog post is that we need to inform our prayer life with Scripture. I agree. Scripture shapes the way we pray and even the words we choose. That in and of itself is transformational. Often God will give me pause in my prayer and make me consider why I worded my prayer the way I did. Why did I pray, "Lord, help me be more patient?" First Corinthians 13 states, "Love is patient, love is kind..." If I am lacking patience, it is probably because I lack love. My prayer needs to be that I will surrender to the love of God more and allow it to flow through me more to those around me. Patience is a by-product of love.

One thing I often notice is lacking in discussions about prayer is God's sovereignty. We know the verses that speak of prayer's power and effectiveness, but this does not mean the power rest in us or is from us; the power of prayer finds its source in God. Prayer is in fact a mysterious process where God includes us in His works not only on the physical plane, but on a plane that is unseen. It is as real as the air I am breathing and the buttons my fingers are pounding right now; actually it is more real! Our prayers are meant to change us, not God. They avail much in how they transform us. Unfortunately, there is a tendency for us to judge the availing power and effectiveness of prayer by how much circumstances change. If the circumstances change to match the way we prayed, then we assume that prayer was effective. If the circumstances do not change to match our prayer, then we assume the prayer failed, was weak or we were mistaken. Prayer is not pragmatic by our standards; prayer is so much more than that!

Certainly, we can pray with faith for change and change will come. But just because we pray for healing and the healing does not come, it is not prima facia evidence that we lacked faith or that our prayer was ineffective. Prayer impacts in ways we do not always see or fully understand. It's not just about the results we can measure. So, we must be sure we are praying in His Name, i.e. according to His character and will. Our selfishness and ego can taint our view of that and subsequently our prayers. God leads us to pray and pray the way He wants and brings the results He wants. One of those results is that we sync with His will and plan, specifically and generally. I think we must guard ourselves against two extremes. One extreme is to lack faith in the power of prayer and simply think of it as something on the spiritual to-do list. The other extreme gives us all the glory and credit for answered prayer and its power, forgetting glory and power belong to God alone.

Therefore, let us pray with an open heart and mind to God's direction, carefully listening to the words we choose, noticing the things we pray for and why, and continually being shaped by Scripture. When we pray, we are not on the throne wielding power from on high. No, we are going before the throne of the One who does. Thus, praying in the kneeling position, though not required, is a great reminder of where the power of prayer comes from and who is in charge.