Celebration of Discipline Week 2: Prayer
This is the second week of our 12-week series exploring Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster.
In the past few weeks we have seen a radical change in how we function as individuals, as a nation and globally. We are on lockdown, and the #stayathome hashtag has been trending. For most of us, this has looked like working from home, moving back in with family, or braving it out and heading to work if we are an ‘essential worker’ (legends). We wanted to seize our time in lockdown as an opportunity where we can grow and thrive in our walk with Jesus.
With the extra spare time you might have, join use as we journey through the twelve disciplines found in Celebration of Discipline, choosing to go deeper with Jesus and grow in our spiritual lives. It’s not too late to join us – so grab a copy and dive in!
And in case you missed it, here’s last week’s blog where Helen shared her thoughts on Meditation. You can also watch her video update too.
Discipline Two: Prayer
‘I want it all, and I want it now…’
Lyrics from Queen which sum up the consumerism at the heart of Western culture. We want more clothes, more money and more _____ [you fill in the blank] to make us ‘happy’. The unconscious ‘if I just had one more _____, then I would be satisfied’. The ease and speed of things like Amazon Prime and next-day delivery from nearly all stores as standard means that our desire for more – more, now – is easily and quickly gratified. But perhaps we all know somewhere deep inside that this doesn’t really satisfy.
It’s all too easy to treat prayer like this too: transactional and instantaneous – and if we don’t see our prayers answered immediately then we can give up.
But there’s so much more to prayer than this.
Foster reminds us that, ‘Of all the spiritual disciplines, prayer is the most central because it ushers us into perpetual communion with the Father’. This means that as we pray, we not only bring to God what is on our hearts but it draws our hearts closer to God.
‘Prayer is a relationship with Jesus – it doesn’t look like simply talking and not pausing to listen’
Learning to pray
It seems like you don’t need to be a Christian to see some value in prayer. In light of the current global pandemic we are seeing world leaders call for ‘National Days of Prayer’ – because things have become desparate. But it’s about so much more than a simple cry for hope in the middle of troubles (although that is part of it).
Prayer is a relationship with Jesus. Just like a regular conversation, it doesn’t look like simply talking and not pausing to listen.
Martin Luther said, ‘The fewer the words, the better the prayer.’ So how can our prayer life look like a two-way relationship with the King of Kings?
Even the disciples – who journeyed around with Jesus, saw him perform miracles and got to talk to him every day – still asked him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray’ (Luke 11:1).
Real prayer is something we learn. Here are five things the Bible teaches us:
1. Pray Patiently
Stop what you are doing, make space for God and listen to what he might be saying to you. Psalm 40 has been a comfort to me over many years, and it seems fitting in light of the Covid-19 crisis:
“I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.’
– Psalm 40:1–3
I’m using this Psalm to quiet my anxious heart and to remind me that God hears our cry as we wait upon him –and he lifts us and restores us. Why not try using it too?
2. Pray Daily
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to ask for our daily bread. Much like when God taught the Israelites in the desert to learn to trust him and come to him everyday for their literal daily bread, we must also come to him daily.
3. Pray Simply
When we’re praying for other people, Jesus gives us a model which is rooted in compassion. If we have God-given compassion and concern for others, our faith will grow and strengthen as we pray.
Jesus taught us to pray directly, saying, ‘Walk’, ‘Be well’, or ‘Stand up’, rather than tip-toeing around our prayer requests and ‘killing it with words’ (in the words of our great friend Mike Pilavachi).
‘If we have God-given compassion and concern for others, our faith will grow and strengthen as we pray’
As we pray for our friends, we should start by asking God to give us compassion and take time to listen to what he says. And it helps to start small – by praying for a cold or headache rather than praying for a brain tumour or broken leg. Success in the small corners of life gives us authority in the larger matters. If we remain obedient in praying for the small things, we will learn more about who God is and how he chooses to move when it comes to the bigger things.
4. Pray Like a Child
It’s easy to overcomplicate prayer. Instead, Jesus taught us to come to the Father like children. What he meant by this was to not hesitate to ask for the seemingly simplest requests, but do so confidently, like we see small children do so to their Father. We should allow Jesus to use our minds like He uses children’s – to use our imaginations to show us pictures of what He is saying and how He wants us to pray.
So, how do we put all these things into action and actually pray?
We do it.
I can so easily allow the distractions of life and my busyness mean that my prayer life is squeezed out. But prayer is all about stopping and engaging in an active relationship with our Heavenly Father.
Prayer Challenges
This week there are four challenges for you to choose from. Why not pick one and stick to it for a week?
Challenge Two: Handwashing Prayer
Instead of singing Happy Birthday or a Rick Astley song as you wash your hands, say the Lord’s Prayer. It’s the full 20 seconds too!
Challenge Three: Choose Three
Choose three people you can intentionally pray for this week. Bring them up in conversation with God for a few minutes each day. If it feels appropriate, you could send them a message to let them know you’re praying for them, and share anything you feel that God is saying.
Challenge Four: Midday Prayer
The whole Onelife team are pausing for five minutes at noon every day to say the Lord’s Prayer, to pray for our nation and to pray against the spread of the coronavirus. Put an alarm on your phone for 12pm and join us.
CHALLENGE ONE: GET BIBLICAL
Richard Foster recommends these daily scripture readings as we explore prayer this week. Pray and ask God to speak to you through his word:
Monday: The pattern of prayer – Matthew 6:5–15
Tuesday: The prayer of worship – Psalm 103
Wednesday: The prayer of repentance – Psalm 51
Thursday: The prayer of thanksgiving – Psalm 150
Friday: The prayer of guidance – Matthew 26:36–46
Saturday: The prayer of faith – James 5:13–18
Sunday: The prayer of command – Mark 9:14–29
Video Update
Here's Becky with an update at the end of our second week exploring Prayer.
Follow @onelifeleaders on Instagram to continue the journey.
We’ll be sharing blog posts, encouraging quotes and video reflections on each chapter of Celebration of Discipline.