A quick random search online reveals that there are numerous books seeking to assist people with the most basic skills in particular subjects; for example, Diane Selkirk wrote The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Sailing (2013); there were so many books on computing in the For Dummies series I couldn’t decide which one to choose by way of illustration in this message!
The idea behind all these kinds of books is to make their subject accessible to ordinary people who were struggling to find a way to get started.
The first disciples of Jesus found praying difficult and asked Jesus to teach them how to pray (Luke11:1). But as with everything else there are ways not to pray which Jesus highlighted in the famous Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:5-8:
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
What possible features of prayer should we avoid?
1.You must pray in busy public places (Matthew 6:5-6) And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Holding a placard on the street corner near a busy junction highlighting the fact you are praying is not likely to get you high approval ratings with passers-by in twenty-first century Britain.
You might make someone laugh, but at you not with you. However, having your prayer time in a prominent public place where plenty of people passed by was the way 2,000 years ago in Israel to gain the approval of the masses and to be seen as a holy person. But that was the point Jesus said!
Praying like that to impress other people might achieve its goal, but God might leave you to get on with it as it was of no interest to Him. By contrast, Jesus emphasised, for your regular pattern of prayer find a private place where it is a matter between you and God.
When God sees we are deadly serious about engaging with Him in prayer, then He is present and listening to the cries of our heart. There is a place for corporate prayer when God’s people gather together on-line or in more conventional times in one physical space, but in our personal prayer life try and find that place where no-one or no things gets in the way of you spending time alone with God in prayer.
2. You must pray for as long as possible (Matthew 6:7-8)7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Paul wrote: Pray continually (I Thessalonians 5:17).
Is it about the survival of the spiritually fittest praying till we drop? Or prayer marathons for Jesus – how many times have you lasted twenty-four hours without a break! There are times for persistent prayer and issues over which we will keep praying until we see God’s answer. However, under normal circumstances in our daily prayers Jesus advocated precise clear shorter prayers from our hearts. Let Him know precisely what you need like a young child bringing a request to their parent and trusting Him to answer. What are you going to ask for specifically today?
Our song for reflection today is: What a friend we have in Jesus
Brian Talbot