As I read in Leviticus about the elaborate procedures God’s people had to go through to approach Him I have a profound appreciation for our access to God through prayer today. When Jesus died on the cross the heavy curtain in the temple that separated us from God’s presence was ripped from top to bottom allowing us to approach God directly in Jesus’ name. We could never begin to thank God enough for the wonderful opportunity to communicate with Him through prayer. But do we make the best use of that great privilege?
In the summer of 1963, I was a twenty-year-old airman first class stationed at a remote communication site on Okinawa. Every Sunday morning I took the bus to Kadena Air Base to worship and to teach a Sunday school class of dependent youngsters. As a result, I was invited to attend a three day religious retreat at a resort at the foot of Mt. Fuji in Japan. That retreat had such a profound effect on me that I still remember it clearly today. The theme of the retreat was prayer and the three men of God who led the services were Colonel Terry (Commander of Air Force Chaplains), Dr. Oswald Hoffman (Lutheran Hour radio host) and Dr. David H. C. Read (Pastor of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City).
(A quick side note. On that trip I discovered America isn’t the only place with regional accents. While in Japan I tried to use the little Japanese I had picked up and every time I did they would smile and say, “Okinawa.”)
As you can imagine, much time at the retreat was spent on Jesus’ example of how we should pray. We call it the “Lord’s Prayer”, but it really is a basic guide for us to follow when we pray. The actual prayer of our Lord is, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” (Matthew 26:42) That prayer and His obedience to the will of His Father make all things possible for us including our prayers to God in Jesus’ name.
They also covered different types of prayer. One type they called the foxhole prayer. It is simply, “Lord, help me,” followed a little later by, “Thank you, Lord”. After my wife died I became the king of foxhole prayers asking for God’s help literally hundreds of times a day and thanking him just as often. Since then, I have tried to stand on God’s word that He will be with me always, so now I just thank Him when I feel His hand at work in my life which is still quite often.
Another type of prayer they talked about was intercessory prayer. Praying for others is an act of love that blesses us as much as the one for whom we pray. Being part of the CLC prayer team has truly blessed me. It has taken my focus away from me and onto the needs of others.
When and where should we pray? Of course we have access to God at any time, but Jesus seemed to prefer early morning even before daylight. (Mark 1:17) He also liked to find a quiet place away from distractions. Jesus doesn’t tell us not to lead a group prayer out loud, but he does warn us if we pray publicly to impress men, that will be the only thing our prayer will accomplish. (Matthew 6:5)
Jesus didn’t teach us how long to spend in prayer but He didn’t put a time limit on His prayers (Luke 6:12), so what is long enough? As our love for God grows we will automatically want to spend more time with Him, but even back in 1963 the hymn “Sweet Hour of Prayer” was an ideal and not a reality for most people. The important thing is that we spend time listening for God’s response. Otherwise we are just leaving a message on His voicemail.
We need to prepare our hearts and minds before we pray. When I need an ego trim or an attitude adjustment before approaching God I repeat the words of a song I learned long ago.
“I can’t calm the raging sea, but God can.
Can’t make honey like a bee, but God can
Can’t turn darkness into light
Can’t make mountains snowy white
Can’t give blinded eyes their sight, but God can
For His power is unlimited by bounds of time and space
And every soul that breathes a breath is covered by his grace.
He makes sin clouds fade away
His touch turns the night to day.
Man can’t help me when I pray, but God can!”
With renewed respect for God’s power and full awareness of my weakness, I am ready to kneel before the throne in prayer. My knees no longer allow me to kneel physically, but I still kneel in spirit. By the way, I love the fact that Jesus prayed for me. “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.” (John 17:20)