Been awhile since I wrote anything, so wanted to share a simple insight into prayer.
There are many types of prayer — far too many to list here. But I want to focus on two approaches that seem common … and sometimes misused.
1) The prayer time that is a sanctuary. It’s a place to retreat and disengage from the world. Prayer becomes a sanctuary, a place to avoid pain, a place to find peace, a place to heal. It’s the place to go when life seems confusing. Unfortunately, the downside of this is that it can also become a way to avoid the hard work God might want us to do.
2) The prayer time that is a preparation. It’s a place to create a plan before engaging with the world. Prayer becomes an exercise in thought, weighing options, talking things through. It’s a place to seek guidance before setting out on an adventure. Unfortunately, such prayer can also become a perfunctory exercise that we enter into with our minds and strategies already made up.
I’ve done both. Sometimes at the same stage in life. And I’ve abused both, attempting to avoid action in the name of spirituality, or not listening to God in the name of action. But that’s not a surprise, is it?
There is a time and place for everything. Seems like I read that somewhere.
So all of this leads to a question. How do you pray? What are the methods, the ideas, the strategies, the heart felt response to God? Seriously, I want to know and learn from you. Tell me.