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A Plethora of Prayer

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And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

There was a fantasy movie that came out when I was a teenager called Ladyhawke. It starred a very young Matthew Broderick who played the part of a young and mischievous monk. Throughout the movie, the young monk has a running conversation with God, often humorously explaining why it was necessary for him to behave in less than monk-like ways.

As silly as it seems, that movie taught me something about prayer. As a young believer, I had always been taught the formal mode of prayer. I assumed the prayer position by closing my eyes, bowed my head, and folding my hands together. I prayed formally, addressing God with voice and words that I would never use in conversation with anyone else. After watching Ladyhawke I asked myself the question, “If I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit as I’ve been taught, then why can’t I just have a running conversation with God? “

It was my first step into understanding that prayer is a spiritual discipline that takes many forms. There’s a veritable plethora of ways one can pray. One of my blog posts that continues to be among the most popular is about “popcorn prayers.” Through the years, I have found writing God my prayers like a letter to be one of my favorite and most powerful forms of prayer. I’ve spent seasons of life praying the Divine Hours in which prayers are recited at fixed times throughout the day and night. I sometimes repeat classic prayers that have been handed down through the ages like the prayers of St. Patrick, St. Brigid, and St. Francis. I sometimes pray silent prayers. Sometimes I pray breathing prayers. And sometimes, especially when I’m alone in the car, I will simply have a casual conversation with God, outloud, as if He is sitting in the passenger seat – just like Matthew Broderick’s character did in Ladyhawke.

I have always had a creative spirit, and I get bored easily. Finding creative ways to communicate with God and commune with His Spirit has been a worthwhile endeavor throughout my spiritual journey. In the quiet this morning, as I’ve been writing these words, I’ve been reminded of some of the forms of prayer I haven’t tapped into for a while and convicted to weave them into my day.

I think it fitting to end today’s post/podcast with a prayer.

God, I pray for any and all who read/hear these words, that you will bless them wherever they are with whatever it is they need in the moment, and I pray that they will in turn bless you by having a conversation with you. In Jesus name I pray this. So be it. Amen.

I’m taking Thanksgiving weekend off. See you on Monday when we’ll begin a trek through Mark.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

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“Coffee Time” with God

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coffee and tee
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chapter-a-Day Psalm 55

Morning, noon, and night
    I cry out in my distress,
    and the Lord hears my voice.
Psalm 55:17 (NLT)

“Coffee time” is a long held tradition in the Dutch culture which is my heritage. When I was a kid, I thought it was just something that my Grandpa and Grandma Vander Well did when I visited them at their home in Le Mars, Iowa. About 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. and then again in the mid-afternoon about 3:00, Grandpa and Grandma V would stop whatever it was they were doing and sit down at the kitchen table for a cup of coffee or tea.

Years later, I spent three years living in a very small rural town that was largely of Dutch heritage. I quickly learned that at 9:00 a.m. and again about 3:00 p.m. the local coffee shop was packed for “coffee time.” Local residents, businessmen, and farmers congregated for a cup of coffee and a serving of current events or local gossip. I came to love the routine break in the day. I looked forward to it.

A few years ago, I first read about “praying the hours.” It’s an ancient practice that I believe was largely lost in the protest that made many of us Protest-ants. Also known as “fixed hour prayer,” the concept is pretty simple. At set times of the day, you stop whatever you are doing and have a conversation with God.

The practice of fixed hour prayer actually has its roots in Christianity’s Judaic roots. As you read through the book of Acts and the stories of the beginning of the early church you’ll find hints of the apostles’ dedication to praying at specific hours of the day, often going to the temple to do so. You also find references throughout David’s lyrics, like the verse I pulled from today’s chapter, of his praying at specific times throughout the day.

After studying a bit of the history of the practice (click here for a great article about it if you’re curious), I’ve spent the past few years trying to incorporate what I like to think of as “coffee time with God” into my daily routine. While I’m far from perfect in my discipline, I’ve found it to be an enjoyable practice. I purposefully take a break from whatever I am doing at specific hours of the day to have a brief conversation with God. It provides much needed breaks to my day. It keeps me connected relationally with God throughout the day instead of the sense of leaving God behind after my morning quiet time.

Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have coffee time scheduled with a Friend.

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Confession is Good for the Soul

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David Entrusts a Letter to Uriah - Miserere, p...
David Entrusts a Letter to Uriah – Miserere, psalm 51 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chapter-a-Day Psalm 51

Create in me a clean heart, O God.
    Renew a loyal spirit within me.
Do not banish me from your presence,
    and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.
Psalm 51:10-11 (NLT)

Songs are often best understood in the context of the time and place they were written. It is critical to understand the context of today’s psalm. It was written by David who had just been dramatically confronted with his own wrongdoing by the prophet, Nathan. If you’ve never read the story, or if it’s been a long time since you read it, I encourage you to take a few minutes to read it in 2 Samuel 11-12.

Today’s song is a song of penitence; it expresses regret for wrongdoing and sin. It is easy for me to get cranking through my day. Like David before he was confronted by Nathan, I can easily be distracted by a myriad of thoughts and tasks. I give little thought to the ways I’ve been hurtful to God and others in the course of my day. When I stop for a moment to think about it, however, I am struck at just how far I am from where I want to be. Psalm 51 suddenly becomes very personal. I find my heart crying out like David in confession and a plea for forgiveness.

The old saying is that confession is good for the soul. I believe it to be true. Confession is spiritual chiropractic. It recognizes where we are spiritually out of alignment with God and in need of proper adjustment. It puts us back in place and makes way for spiritual health and all of its benefits.

As I have prayed my way through the Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle, I ran across her use of an ancient litany of the church: The Litany of Penitence. It has done my soul good to make it a regular part of my morning quiet time because as I read through it I am regularly reminded of how much I need confession, repentance, mercy, grace, and forgiveness. While the Litany was originally written to be part of a responsive reading between priest and congregation, here is a variation I often make person prayer to God:

Most holy and merciful Father:

I confess to you and to my brothers and sisters, and to the whole communion of saints in heaven and on earth, that I have sinned by my own fault in thought, word, and deed; by what I have done, and by what I have left undone.

I have not loved you with my whole heart, and mind, and strength. I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I have not forgiven others, as I have been forgiven.

Have mercy on me, Lord.

I have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us. I have not been true to the mind of Christ. I have grieved your Holy Spirit.

Have mercy on me, Lord.

I confess to you, Lord, all my past unfaithfulness: the pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of my life,

I confess to you, Lord.

My self-indulgent appetites and ways, and my exploitation of other people,

I confess to you, Lord.

My anger at my own frustration, and my envy of those more fortunate than me,

I confess to you, Lord.

My intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts, and my dishonesty in daily life and work,

I confess to you, Lord.

My negligence in prayer and worship, and my failure to commend the faith that is in me,

I confess to you, Lord.

Accept my repentance, Lord, for the wrongs I have done: for my blindness to human need and suffering, and my indifference to injustice and cruelty,

Accept my repentance, Lord.

For all false judgments, for uncharitable thoughts toward my neighbors, and for my prejudice and contempt toward those who differ from me,

Accept my repentance, Lord.

For my waste and pollution of your creation, and my lack of concern for those who come after me,

Accept my repentance, Lord.

Restore me, good Lord, and let your anger depart from me;

Favorably hear me, for your mercy is great.

Accomplish in me the work of your salvation,

That I may show forth your glory in the world.

By the cross and passion of your Son our Lord,

Bring me with all your saints to the joy of his resurrection.

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Chapter-a-Day Isaiah 17

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The Divine Hours. And why? Because you have forgotten God-Your-Salvation, not remembered your Rock-of-Refuge. Isaiah 17:10a (MSG)
 

Okay, I admit it. I'm a forgetful person. Just ask my wife, whom I drive crazy with my forgetfulness. There are days when I pull out of the driveway only to pull right back in when I suddenly remember something I forgot to take with me. Somedays I'll pull back in the driveway two or three times before I have everything I need.

A few years I was waiting for Wendy at church and happened upon a book called The Divine Hours. It's a prayer guide with prayers to be prayed at four different times of the day each day. I read the introduction of the book about the ancient discipline of praying at different times of the day. I decided to pick up the book, because I thought that it would be a cool thing to try.

Over the past couple of years I've attempted to use The Divine Hours to build a habit of praying regularly throughout each day. I've come to realize how much I forget about God in the whirlwind of my daily activities. I'm pretty good at spending time in the morning reading God's Message and praying. Once the rest of the day starts, however, God easily gets shoved to the back-burner of my mind. More often than not The Divine Hours sits on my desk until the next morning when I, once again, realize that I gave God little thought the previous day and evening.

I don't want to remember God for just a few minutes of my day. I don't want to forget God as I remember all the tasks on my to-do list. I want to be mindful and engaged with God in the midst of and throughout all my daily journey. Today is a fresh start. Good habits are built one-day-at-a-time.

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Chapter-a-Day Psalm 150

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The Divine Hours Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy house of worship, praise him under the open skies; Psalm 150:1 (MSG)

Over the past two weekends I've been able to spend a lot of time "under the open skies." It never ceases to amaze me how our little place at the lake is as much spiritual refuge as it is vacation play place. For several months now I've been enjoying "The Divine Hours." It's a selection of daily prayers divided into four daily offices. It's a return to the ancient idea of taking time each day, at different times of the day, to stop what you're doing and pray.

At the lake, the daily prayer times took on a deeper meaning for me. I felt the depth of the water, the rootedness of the trees, and the expanse of the skies as I quietly prayed through each office in the morning, mid-day and evening. As I read the opening lyric to Psalm 150 this morning, I caught the contrast of the author. Praise God in church, but praise Him under the open skies, too. There is much to be gained from learning to praise God inside church and out.