I’m not a very good phone talker. I get distracted. I don’t like speaking into a plastic machine. Don’t get me wrong, I like connecting with friends, I guess just not the medium of phone conversation. I’m not going to stop doing it though even though I find it a difficult mode of communication.
Prayer is difficult too. I get distracted. I often don’t like the feeling that I’m talking to a wall or a book. I’m not going to stop doing it though.
As it was with the disciples, so it is with us “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). I need to be taught. Well, I suppose Jesus already taught us with the Lord’s prayer. I that case, I need to continue my studies.
There is the old phase: lex orandi, lex credendi – the law of praying is the law of believing (or something close to that). It means the way we pray is the way we believe. It orders it. This is intended I think in relation to matters of corporate worship, but I believe it goes for our own personal prayer as well. Our praying orders/directs/shapes/molds/guides our believing. I’m not one for trite American pop- christianity slogans, though I used to have quite a few bummer stickers in high school and college, but let’s not get into that now… But I remember on bummer sticker that said “7 days without prayer make one weak.” Once you are done picking yourself of the ground from laughter, we can see that there is truth in the statement. There is so much law and works-based theology underlying American pop-christianity that I often try to hide my eye as often as possible, but I guess this is true. I think I would put it a different way though:”… I was going to think of a slogan but maybe I’d just try and fit these 316 verses on a bummer sticker: http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=pray&searchtype=all&version1=47&spanbegin=1&spanend=73
I guess it’s not as snappy as the previous phase, but I think it gets the job done-ish.
Outside of the Lord’s Prayer, I think the best prayer is “Lord, have mercy.” Kyrie eleison!” Says it all.
The Litany (LSB 288) is amazing in regard to this. I could pray the litany everyday of my life and never get tired of it and it would always remain relevant. It’s basically an expansion of the Kyrie. It’s origin is old. It was purged of error by Luther and translated into English by Cranmer for his Book of Common Prayer. It includes petition for almost everything you could think of: pregnant women, children, those traveling, the sick, widow and orphans and on and on.
Usually, Becca and I listen to the news in the morning and it always seems like there is something that I could include in the litany. “Lord, deliver us from…lightning and tempest (tornadoes); from calamity by fire and water (tsunamis, nuclear power plants).” Give to all peoples concord and peace (Egypt, Libya, Afghanistan, well, the entire Middle East)” and on and on.
Not to mention opportunity to include petitions for prayer requests from church, to lift up family members, friends, co-workers.
Basically, it’s been a great resource for me. That petition about seeking the Lord’s deliverance from tempest made me pause for a while this morning. I don’t know any one affected in Joplin, but it makes me sad. All around the country petitions of the Lord’s mercy are being offered for them. I suppose that brings comfort knowing that the faithful will also petition the Lord on my behalf should tragedy befall me.
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Another resource that has been blowing my mind is Starck’s Prayer book. If you want an antidote to American pop-christianity, this is it. It was written by a pastor in the 1700’s. But it’s straight up medieval, in a good way. My understanding is that Rev. Starck dealt with a lot of death, plagues, etc and that is evident. This prayer book is really in line with the art of dying well. It is always in mind that our last breath is near and that for many around us it is even closer. His prayers emanate utter and complete dependence on God at every moment. While the prayers are completely practical and applicable to our daily lives, they are also theological to the core, as in good theology. They are the opposite of pop-psycho-emotionalism christiantity; yet they honestly stir my soul more because they deliver doses of God’s law and his gospel. Starck is great. This book and Gerhard’s Sacred Meditations, probably two desert island books.
Also the Treasury of Daily Prayer, but if you don’t already have that, I’m surprised that your still reading this, go get it. It's cool.
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“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he [Jesus] departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
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