By: Curtis Baker
As we continue on with Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount between the difference in having the “reputation” of being a good person, and actually “being” one, we come to a subject that is often very delicate to discuss. Last week we saw how Jesus addressed the issue of our charitable giving, also an issue that needs great delicacy; but prayer is a subject of such intimacy, another level of caution must be added to our study.
One of the reasons prayer remains such a delicate subject is that most of us feel as if we are not very good at it. More than that, I am not sure we are convinced what being “good at it” even means. Does it mean having a conversational relationship with God? Does it mean rolling out the long list of needs that we are aware of on a daily basis? Does it take a lot of time? Is it something that continually goes on? Is there a difference between communal and personal prayer? All these questions and many more plague us in regard to our prayer. Prayer comes pretty naturally when we are in distress; but what about those times when life has a sense of normalcy? And I don’t know about you, but I am easily provoked to envy when I hear others talk of the richness of their prayer life.
In my own tradition, there is a well known preacher of yesteryear that was famous for speaking about how his FIRST hour of prayer in the morning was dedicated to his children only. It is true he had a number of kids, but come on…an hour?!?!?! On one level I was impressed; but then again, as much as I love my kids, I don’t think I could speak about them with anyone on a daily basis for an hour or more. What does a person talk about? I realize now that there was likely an element of exaggeration in such a claim. While prayer remains a sensitive subject among us, it is equally prone to bragging so that others might be impressed with the sincerity and depth of our relationship with God.
It is this kind of thing that Jesus addresses next in the Sermon on the Mount. In his own day, religious leaders were well known for standing in the local synagogues (churches) and praying elaborate and long prayers. Men, since they feel insecure about their own prayer lives, heap praise on them for their abilities to commune with the Almighty. The religions outside of the Judeo-Christian heritage are no different. Then, like now, people try to work themselves up into incantations, hoping by their repeated words and intense emotion to move God to do something they want done. Jesus shows the futility of such things in his teaching. For the man who wants praise from others, he gets the very thing he wants, and nothing more. But Jesus also teaches us there is no use in repeated words or hyped up emotion either. At the center of prayer is the request; and that request is not heeded based on what you say or how you say it, but on the condition of your heart. After all, God knows what you need before you ask for it.
Next week we will talk further about what Jesus instructs us to pray, but for now it will be beneficial to simply hear what Jesus says about our prayer. When you pray, don’t do it for public show. Whoever else might be impressed, God is not. Instead, go to a quiet and lonely place to make your fellowship with God. Just as you don’t invite others to be spectators in overhearing your conversation with a beloved friend, so also you do not put your conversations with God on display. Corporate worship is a different matter, of course, but again, prayers there are not offered up in entertainment or to impress others. Instead, as a people we humble our hearts together to recognize God as the author and giver of life. It is with him that we ultimately seek to commune. To try to impress others about the greatness of that communing is juvenile. It amounts to the old play ground arguments–“I’m his best friend…no, I’m his best friend.” Is anyone truly impressed?
(Don’t forget to join me for A Message from the Heart radio program Sunday evening at 8:00pm on KJAK 92.7FM, or streaming live at www.kjak.com)
(curtisbaker@hotmail.com)
Write to: P.O. Box 157, Slaton, TX 79364
