Lately I have been looking over files and notes from my seminary days. I have a large 3 ring binder open on my desk that was a Prayer Notebook "presented to E. Glenn Hinson, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for 26730." The class was more commonly known as Prayer in Christian History. The notebook is comprised of a reflection journal, reading reactions to journal articles & book chapters, and items for further study.
Over the past few weeks I have been reading through the notebook again. This is not the first time I have found and read papers that I wrote in college and seminary. Reading those was often painful! Reading over work done in bygone years shows me just how far I have come in both thought processes and writing ability. This time, however, leafing through this notebook has been a positive and insightful experience.
Prior to seminary I prayed a lot, but did not do much thinking about prayer. Seminary afforded a framework to give attention to my accumulated beliefs and practices. Reading through the articles and then my personal reflections has provided insight into the early stages of my theological development. I am discovering anew just how foundational this class was for much of my current understanding about and practice of prayer. But it also has shown me about more than prayer. One statement in final exam for the class caught my eye as I was reading. I wrote, "Any discussion of prayer is, in fact, a discussion of one's view of God. It is the essence of theology." If writing it today I would tweak it a bit; "In many ways prayer is simply the practice of one's theology."
How we pray and the content of our prayers reveals what we really believe about God.
Jesus showed that prayer changes things: through prayer God can be encouraged to act (as seen in the many healing narratives and instructions to his disciples) and prayer changes the one who prays (as seen in the passion narrative beginning in the Garden of Gethsemane). When the disciples failed in healing a demon possessed man Jesus healed him with ease. Jesus then told his followers, "this kind can come out only by prayer" (Mark 9:14- 29). Jesus often went out alone to pray, to reconnect with God, to seek clarity and wisdom, and to prepare for work ahead. Too often contemporary Christians seek the advice of others - friends, family, and spiritual leaders - before or in lieu of seeking God's advice through prayer. When Jesus asked questions of his contemporaries it was for the sake of the person being addressed. Jesus only addressed his information-seeking queries to God! He did not seek advice from his peers or followers. Perhaps we should spend more time seeking advice and wisdom from God instead of relying so much on our friends and advisors.
Paul's experience with prayer was "God's grace is sufficient" for everything. Even in the midst of imprisonment and torture Paul noted that God's grace (and as a result, God's strength) was most evident when Paul was at his weakest. From Paul we can learn that the answer to most of our petitions to God is simply grace. Though God may not take away pain or suffering, though the answers we receive may not be those we prefer, in all circumstances God speaks grace; "My grace is sufficient."
In the biblical book that bears his name James demonstrates that prayer is powerful. There is a connection for James between prayer, faith, and God's action in the world. Thomas Merton, the great Dominican writer, summarized the perspective of James, prayer always results in action. For Merton such human action was always social in nature. Merton suggested that if a Christian was not active in social issues that Christian was not praying. Because God loves all people, God desires those who love God to be concerned about their neighbors. For Merton a praying Christian begins to see differently, becomes more aware of the needs all around, and is inspired to help solve the problems faced by neighbors. Merton set forth a contemplative model of prayer where one reads God's word and then rests in silence before God, waiting on the Divine to speak, inspire, clarify, and/or bring peace. Such prayer centers the one praying on God instead of on self. Such centering give's the one praying new eyes, or, in Rohr's (Immortal Diamond) words, allows God to see through our eyes and us to see through God's eyes. We begin to see what God sees and God begins to love more fully in and then through us. Once we see what God sees we will be compelled to respond with God's love.
We cannot pray and not be moved to action.
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