or a possible failed test invokes passionate prayer, whereas a life of contentment and ease leads to calmer, contemplative prayer. So, is the success of prayer based on human effort? Just before Christ’s death on the cross, His prayer “not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22.42) models for us to not request our own desires but to look to adhere more to His. Similarly, Søren Kierkegaard theorized that the purpose of our prayers “is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays,” an idea that suggests our goal not be to change God’s mind, but instead our own path and mentality. So, the words of the Lord’s Prayer “your will be done” and the follow up list of requests as pulled from my own will seem to contradict each other in approach. CS Lewis, a fiercely private individual, was often asked about his prayer life, but would dodge these questions, feeling that prayer was something that was done, not talked about. However, he too struggled with the purpose of prayer, feeling that requests (petitionary prayer) conflicted with the Lord’s Prayer (a surrendering to His will). Lewis was quoted as saying that in his search, he worked towards “prayer without words,” a form of prayer that allowed him to meditate on individuals and visualize events without having an agenda towards a desire. Additionally, he felt that in our search for how to pray, asking the question “Does prayer work?” misleads us into thinking that prayer’s success is an act of the will (the more faith we have and the harder we pray, the more likely our prayers will be answered). In searching out answers for this apparent contradiction, Lewis felt that more surrendering and less requesting was in order, as requests are based in our sometimes short-sighted, earthly emotions, whereas surrendering allows for His perspective. Like Lewis, our views on prayer are limited by our human perspective: we don’t have the answers and don’t know what effect prayer has. Maybe our prayer requests, although important, are not how we should pray but instead may give us clues on which to focus. Instead of a laundry list of requests, maybe when we tell others that they are in our prayers, in addition to providing comfort with those words, we then look to pray without words, seeking a meditative approach for support, as only God knows what is best for them. We can allow ourselves and others to be drawn closer to Him not by putting conditions and stipulations on our expectations but instead wordlessly including those around us and supporting them in Him through ways we may never understand and down paths we didn’t even know existed. Instead of focusing on our feelings about God, we could instead focus on God. More importantly, although we don’t have all of the answers regarding how to pray, we can continue to seek them out, struggling to understand prayer through communion with Him. It is then, in the quiet struggle and boundless searching, that we truly find Him. Amen. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
December 29 – Discernment, Acceptance, and the Dangers of Refinement As my wife and I uncorked a bottle of new Cabernet, my 8-year-old son looked on with great curiosity and interest. Since it was named after one of his favorite superheroes (Ghost Rider), he thought he should try some for himself. Never wanting to squash his curiosity and desire to try new things, we poured out a splash for him to taste. As he drank, a look of horror washed over his young face, and he quickly searched for the nearest sink. After several minutes of spitting and washing his mouth out, he declared that the wine was awful, as my wife and I enjoyed every sip. Most of us probably have a similar story when we were younger, as wine, beer, coffee, whatever, is a mostly acquired taste. Our primary gastrointestinal instincts with these items don’t usually align with a desire to consume. Our tongues are not used to these new flavors, but over time, we grow to appreciate, like, and even enjoy most of them. Also over time, and with greater experience, our tastes mature and become refined. What was at first bitter or strange now has a range of familiarity, developing into an array of quality and taste. Our discerning tongues then know the difference between what works for us and what doesn’t. When I first became a Christian, I involved myself in everything I could that was considered Christian. Deeply committing to emotional and involved