May 27

For years, and probably still today in some theological circles, the popular instruction on prayer was to pray specifically, the implication being that if we were not specific in our prayers, the outcome may be different than what we had intended and could have been altered, if we had only been more specific in our prayer. I've never been a big fan of that teaching.

I do believe in being specific in our prayers for the simple reason that God wants our conversation with Him to be one that is deep, authentic, vulnerable, and trusting. The specificity of our prayer is a measure of vulnerability, not effectiveness. Paul's great exhortation on prayer found in Philippians 4:6 is a great example of how prayer is foremost about the heart. Verse four actually sets the context, "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice!" Then he launches in verse six into prayer, continuing the theme of rejoicing. He uses three words translated for us: prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving.

The first word for prayer has a strong emphasis on praise, meaning that we should be worshipful, rejoicing in our prayer, celebrating the One to whom we bring our needs, in the same way the Lord's Prayer begins with worship, acknowledging our relationship with God (Our Father), exclaiming His divine being (who art in heaven), and professing our belief that He is perfect and that there is no one or no other entity in existence that compares with Him (hallowed by thy Name). That is the essence of what Paul means when he says "prayer."

Then we find supplication. This is to launch into our conversation with God. He wants to hear from us, what's going on in our lives, not because we are informing Him but because He knows that the deeper we go in our sharing, the deeper our hearts go with Him in relationship. Acts of expression lead to feelings of intimacy and He longs for all things deeper with His beloved children. Specificity is the key to deep love, not expeditious responses.

Finally, we see the phrase, "with thanksgiving." This simply means that we will are thankful for whatever the outcome. That we trust in His sovereignty, we trust in providence, we trust in the perfectness of His being and the attentiveness of His heart. This is why Paul began with "be anxious for nothing..." and finishes with "and the peace of God" in verse seven. There is no anxiety and only peace, not because we are certain to get what we want but rather because we certain in the One to whom we pray!

Really, the best text on a key to prayer is found in the reading today, 2 Chronicles chapter 1. Solomon was blessed with so much more than he had asked (sounds like Ephesians 3:20) not because he was specific but because he was sincere and honorable.

Let it be that our prayers are laden with authenticity, seasoned with sincerity, overflowing with goodness, lead by His Spirit!

Pastor Fred