RonParrs.com: Notes from My Desk...

Why Pray: the Depths of Prayer

The only problem with defining something is that the definition often falls flat. The definition needs to be fleshed out.

As we defined Prayer, I found myself scratching my head wondering if there was something else. The two-fold definition of Prayer - communication with God for the intertwined purposes of bringing Glory to Him and encountering joy in our own lives - felt about 98% complete. But there was something more needed.

We talked about how prayer goes from being rote or liturgical (nothing inherently wrong with those prayers) to an actual conversation with God. And the conversation continues to grow and strengthen as we gradually align our desires and wishes and lives with God's actual Plan. The closer we draw to God's Plan and communion with Him, He receives the Glory and we receive joy for being a part of the Plan.

But I was still looking for a bit more to not only further define prayer but to plumb Prayer's depths. When presented with a problem or issue, I can deal with the surface issues, which in truth are symptoms, or I can wrestle the problem to its root. We have to look deeper. When I deal with the root causes, the symptoms are automatically (usually) dealt with.

Prayer 101: Understanding God

How can you effectively pray if you don't know anything about to whom you are praying?

That may seem a bit harsh, and surely God answers the prayers of those who don't know Him but are wholeheartedly seeking Him, but knowing and understanding God and His Word are the first step in developing an effective and vibrant prayer life.

Throughout the Bible we read passages such as this, "The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them." 2 Chronicles 15:2-4.

Why do we seek after God? Why do we pray?

What is Prayer?

We talk about prayer and praying. We talk about the need to pray or wanting to have a vibrant prayer life. All of that is good but, what is prayer?

Every religious system in the world has some type or method of prayer or prayer life. Even atheists pray (usually known as meditating).

But what is prayer? How do we define prayer? What is prayer in the Judeo-Christian context? And specifically, what should prayer be like for the Christian believer?

Before we can discuss something, we have to be able to define it. By defining prayer, we will keep our discussion in the proper context and with the proper focus.

Like many doctrinal issues, the Bible may not always provide an exact definition, however, throughout the passages of the Old and New Testaments, we have pictures of prayer. From these pictures, we are able to frame a working definition of what prayer is and what it is not.

Prayer 101: a Study

Prayer is not a simple discipline. Prayer takes much effort - and even sweat and tears - in order for it to become a vibrant part of our lives and God's Plan.

In fact, we cannot live without prayer in our lives. Prayer must be an integral part of the Christian's daily routine as he or she (you or I) are not only saved, but then continually sanctified by the Word of God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

We can further say that prayer is so important to the believer's life, that we cannot live without it. Even Jesus proved that to be true. Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus making and taking time to be alone in prayer, communing with His Heavenly Father. Whether the task was mundane or critical, Jesus set aside time to pray before continuing with whatever the task was.

And so we must have that same attitude and follow the model of our Lord and Savior. Anything less would rob us of a vibrant Christian life. We would also rob ourselves of being the integral part of God's Plan that He so desires us to be.

Why does it seem that the more "mature" (you can also read that as "older" and not necessarily mature) we become in our Christian walk, the quicker we loose our "child like" faith and attitude that God so loves?

Prayer 101: Introduction

As a Christian, I would have to say that one of my biggest struggles is the discipline of Prayer.

This is something that is lacking. Especially after finishing reading the Bible in 90 Days, I feel as though there's something missing. I should have a certain renewed "power", but I don't.

I can read the Bible for hours. I can listen to Christian music (any genre) all day long. Certain songs make me shout for joy. Others cause me to weep. Still others highlight the deep longing in my soul for more of my God.

Sermons found on line or on the radio hold my attention and sometimes prevent me from getting out of my car until they're finished. I'll sometimes even take notes in order to return to the subject being discussed. Many of these thoughts and ideas have been "reborn" in Sunday school lessons or blog posts.

I can see and experience the Glory of God in nature and the world around me. I still wonder at a rainbow or a fresh blanket of snow or the changing of the leaves and seasons around our home. To a certain degree I live vicariously through my children and grandchild (I pray for many more in due time) as they discover what I once was in awe of. They still have a certain degree of innocence. As a middle-aged adult, I'm much farther from "Eden".

But it is Prayer that most vexes me.