"Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after He had finished, one of the disciples asked Him: Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples."
Gospel of Luke
Much has been written about prayer. In fact, we can find much in scripture on prayer, but the above question is still the one most asked, even by those who you would think would be familiar with it. Why is prayer so often viewed as something complicated.
Jesus' basic instruction on prayer is simple. In Chapter six of Matthew's gospel, Jesus gives what is called his greatest teaching on prayer. He says: "Go into your inner room and pray to your Father within that secret place. Don't stand on the street corners and look for other people's approval. Don't babble on like the pagans when you pray. Be simple. Don't use many words. Be in the present moment. Let go of your worries and your anxieties when you pray."
Very often when we come to pray, and many of us were taught to do it in this way, we pray with the intention of changing the world, or changing other people, or changing the circumstances of our own lives. This becomes our intention, to change the world into a better world. This may be good, but the first and most important intention of prayer is to place ourselves before the Lord in a way that we may be open to be changed through our prayer. Am I willing to be changed by my act of praying.
My own first prayer which led to my decision to become Christian was exactly that. "Lord, take me as your disciple. Guide me, illuminate me, sanctify me. Be my God and guide. Where ever you lead me I will go. What ever you command me I will do. What ever you forbid me I will renounce. Take me then to the fullness of your truth." C. S. Lewis wisely stated that the purpose of prayer is not to change God's will to mine, but to change my will to God's.
Jesus' advice to His disciples in the opening Gospel above contains all of these elements. Say: "Father, hallowed by your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
When some reporters asked Mother Theresa what she said to God when she prayed, she answered: "I say nothing. I just sit and listen to God." And what does God say to you? was there next question. And she answered: "God says nothing, He just sits and listens to me. And if you don't understand that, then don't expect me to explain it to you."
Prayer places us in the position of being intimately connected with God's presence and God's presence with us. When we are there, no words are necessary, no requests have to be made. God knows our needs, even before we ask. But the question we need to ask ourselves is: "Are we paying attention"? Not making intentions, but giving attention?
As an illustration, I will conclude with the interesting dialog between God and Jonah in the latter part of this short Old Testament book.
God said to Jonah: "Are you right to be angry about a castor oil plant?" Jonah replied: "I have every right to be angry, to the point of death". The Lord replied: "You are upset about a castor oil plant which cost you nothing. Am I not to feel sorry for Nineveh in which there are more than one hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from there left."
The people of Nineveh "paid attention". They repented and changed their ways. We live in a society that is largely not paying attention. As people of faith, should we not be seeking ways to get their attention so that the good news may be shared with them.
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