By Pastor Greg
A pastor had a kitten that climbed too high up a tree and became paralyzed with fear. He coaxed and offered warm milk, but the kitty would not come down. Unfortunately, the tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that he might be able to reach the cat if he could bend the small tree low enough to the ground. So he attached a rope to the tree and tied the other end to his car. Inching forward, the tree began to bend. Just as he was about to stop, he heard a loud *SNAP*. The rope broke and the tree went *Boing*. Instantly the kitten sailed through the air and out of sight. Heartbroken, the pastor walked all over the neighborhood asking if anyone had seen a little kitten. Eventually, he returned to his house and prayed, "Lord, I just commit this kitten to Your keeping".
A few days later, he was at the grocery store and met one of his church members. He happened to notice cat food in her shopping cart. Knowing she hated cats, he asked, "Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?" She told him how her little girl had been constantly begging for a cat and, in frustration, she had blurted, "Well if God gives you a cat, I'll let you keep it.” The woman said, "I watched her go out in the yard, get on her knees and ask God for a cat. And Pastor, you won't believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws spread out and landed right in front of her."
I wonder if he told her what actually happened.
I wonder what would happen if I prayed for a new truck.
Children seem to have an interesting concept of prayer. Sometimes they are so honest and get right to the point. Children are not afraid to share their feelings with God. It’s when they grow older that a child’s prayer life begins to fall apart. For instance, as I got older, I became self-conscience about praying. And most of the prayers I heard didn’t make sense. “Now with all eyes closed and every head bowed, lift your hand if you need the Lord to work in your life today . . . yes, yes, I see those hands, thank you”. And I’m thinking, “Wait a minute preacher, I thought everyone was to have their eyes closed”! As I listened to people pray, it sounded an awful lot like whining and complaining. “Lord, please heal Aunt Lois. She has a bunion on her right foot”, or “Lord, I’m affected by a bald patch.” It was as if our happiness was God’s responsibility. He existed to solve all our problems; to calm our storm. What really confused me about prayer was all the rules I was taught. Head bowed, eyes closed. Men, hat off. Women, head covered. Oh, and you must end your prayer with the name of Jesus. *sigh* I wish someone would have just taught me how to pray.
Do you suppose this is why the apostles asked Jesus to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1)? While teaching on the hillside, Jesus gives the crowd a model prayer that contrasts the way people were praying at the time. He tells them to pray this way. “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’[1] (Matthew 6:9-13).
The reason the apostles asked Jesus this question may surround a new prayer that was being practiced by the leading Jews at this time. A Jewish Pharisee named Gamaliel (who died around 50 AD), wrote a prayer called the Amidah. It consisted of 18 or 19 specific requests a Jew should lift up to God 3 times a day. Each of the requests ended with the line “Blessed are You, O Lord”. There was a long list of instructions associated with reciting this prayer: take three steps forward at the beginning, bend the knee when saying “Blessed”, bow at the words “are You”, and straighten back up at “O, Lord”. Three steps back at the end. This prayer was filled with symbolism.[2]
Of course, some prayed quite sincerely, but others merely mouthed the words of the Amidah and went through the motions mechanically – devoid of any personal contact with God. People were praying the same words over and over again, trying to impress others rather than opening their heart to God in private (Matthew 6:5-8). Jesus, on the other hand, says a disciple should not pray to impress others, vainly repeat words over and over, or place undue emphasis on posture and procedure. Jesus gives the crowd “The Disciples Prayer”; a prayer that is relational, personal, submissive, and honest. This is why we must be careful not to just repeat something we have memorized, but to open ourselves to God the Father.
God desires to be in a relationship with us, He desires to be close to us, God wants to be known by the people He has created, and prayer is how that happens. He has said, “I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people”[3] (Ezekiel 37:27). God’s desire to be near us is so great that He sent Christ to die so that He might walk with us in the garden once again. God is not looking for some formal relationship with us. He desires we come to Him just as a child comes to their father.
Do you want to know how to pray? Pray as a child talking to its father. When we were children, we just asked our parents for a drink. Do the same with God. Tell the Lord that you are thirsty. Tell God the storm you are facing scares you. Tell Him that it’s pretty hard living in this world right now. You don’t have to say, “Lord, I humbly bow before You this day in awe of You. You are holy and righteous. And now Father, if it is within Your will, grant that I may have water to drink for I thirst. I pray this in the name of our Savior, Amen”. If God desires a relationship with us, why do we picture Him standing in Heaven saying, “I’m not listening. You’re not properly dressed.” Or, “I can’t hear you. You are wearing a hat (or not wearing a covering)”.
It’s unfortunate that many Christians worry about prayer. Perhaps they worry because they have made it something that it is not. Prayer is simply talking to God the Father. Granted, we need to be respectful and humble. We need to remember whom we are talking with. Nevertheless, we need to stop hiding behind rules and rituals. We need to be open and honest with the Father. We need to remember that prayer is a privilege purchased by Jesus. His death on the cross granted us the honor of walking with God once again. Because of our relationship with Jesus, we have the tremendous opportunity to walk with the Father. He listens as we talk with Him. However, don’t forget that we must listen as He speaks with us.
[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Mt 6:9–13). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[2] http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/867674/jewish/Translation.htm
[3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Eze 37:27). Carol Stream, IL.
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