As of late I've been attending a little shindig at Oakland University on Fridays. It's a a Christian campus group and we've been watching Louie Gigglio's series on prayer. Louie makes some very interesting points about how our culture affects our style of prayer. The series is very challenging and it got me thinking a lot about how it is that we talk to God. God created us all to be different and unique. So it stands to reason that our relationships with Him are just as unique as we are. I believe our personalities, habits, and quirks influence our prayer style. For example, I usually start off a prayer with "Dear God." I know other people who always begin with "Heavenly Father" or "Dear Jesus." Often in my blog I ask rhetorical questions, but within the last few days I had the bright idea to just ask questions--and expect (or hope for) answers. Maybe a little confirmation that I'm not just talk to myself on here. So I want to know, how is it that you pray? How do you as an individual communicate with God?
For example, one of the primary ways I talk to God is through a journal I keep. I pour a large cup of coffee and write prayers in my journal. I usually do this at my kitchen table or sitting on my bed with my journal propped up against my knees. I pray when I drive--unfortunately my "driving prayer" is often a prayer of repentance because I let a word a little stronger that "whoops" slip out of my mouth. (Still working on that.) I think most people have some sort of routine when they pray-- a certain time of day, during certain activities, and in specific places. I had a Bible teacher who would go to her closet to pray. So I want to know, How do you pray??
Posts
Sometimes I do the same, I write prayers in my journal, I also used to pray in my closet, it was probably one of the most intimate experiences I've had in my prayer life. Recently it's been really random the way I pray. I don't feel the need to set aside time so much, but just when it comes, it comes. In my head I'll be chatting away, I won't think about praying, I'll be talking to myself, just thinking about stuff and that usually stresses me out when I get too into my head and thoughts, but it just turns into me telling God my worries, or if someone pops into my head I'll just ask God to do what He needs to do for them, because I sure don't know what it is. Lately it's been more about that kinda stuff, like prayers stemming from overwhelming feelings or situations. Like, dude, I can't do anything about it, God, help me! You know? Or if something is worthy of being appreciated, I try to just thank Him. Nothing formal. Just spontaneous prayer in the form of fragments or phrases. I'm not writing a letter, I'm having a conversation, so, "Dear God" or "Our Father which art in heav..." or "Heavenly deity up in the big black abyss..." just seems kinda silly at a certain point, I don't talk to my dad that way (maybe he'd like it if I did,) it just feels so much more distant and vague, you know? The Bible says that the simplest prayers are the ones that touch His heart, like when we hear a kid pray, yea, it gets to us too, so let's come to Him as children, simple, real, and saying the darndest things. He gets it.
ReplyDeleteLove this! Super genuine. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete