Prompted to Pray

A friend of mine died this week, unexpectedly, far too soon, leaving her family and friends in shock. When something like that happens, I pray. I can't really do anything else. I can't erase her death or ease her family's pain, but I can ask God to give his comfort and peace. And, I know that he hears my prayers, and promises to answer.

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. Psalm 17:6 

 

I've noticed that many people are prompted to pray when a loved one dies. As self-sufficient as we may think we are, we can't prevent death. Since sin entered the world, everyone dies of something, sooner or later. The sudden death of someone close to us often draws us nearer to God, because we realize that he is the only one who can do anything at all about death. In fact, he already did something pretty amazing, when he sent Jesus to die for our sins, and rise again in triumph over death. So, we have hope of eternal life with him forever.

Still, we grieve. It hurts to lose someone we love, even when we know we will see them again some day. But God gives comfort and peace to those who are willing to accept it.

People have been asking God to supply their needs ever since the world began. Some make demands, expecting God to be their magical "fairy godmother" who should give them everything they want, then turning away from him when he doesn't answer their prayers in the way they expect. Others ignore God most of the time, crying out to him only during the darkest times of their lives. Reverend William T. Cummings, who served at Bataan during World War II, is famous for declaring "There are no atheists in foxholes."

I am convinced that God wants us to converse with him every day, just as we speak to any other member of our family. Sure, he wants to hear our urgent requests, but he also wants us to know him so well that we can talk to him about anything, whether trivial or overwhelming, at any time and in any place. He promises to hear, and he promises to answer. 

As Jesus said, "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:11

People have been using various prayer prompts ever since Jesus walked with his disciples. When they asked him how they should pray, Jesus responded by giving them the words to the prayer we call the Lord's Prayer, to serve as a model for us.

“This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Matthew 6:9-13

Some old manuscripts add this ending: "For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever."

Christians have been saying this prayer together, in one form or another, for 2000 years. It serves as an excellent model for us to use any time we pray. That's why our prayers often begin and end with praise and adoration for God, and why we ask for God's will to be done. It shows that we can ask God to supply our needs and forgive our sins, even as it reminds us that we also need to forgive others who have sinned against us. It also reminds us that God has power over all that is evil.

When early Christians prayed, they often used memorized prayers, such as the Lord's Prayer, because most people couldn't read, and even those who could read did not have Bibles available. That's the same reason early worshipers recited the liturgy, which was essentially a group of Bible verses set to music, to help the people remember the words of the Bible.

For the same reasons, the early Roman Catholic Church introduced the use of the rosary as a prayer prompt, to help the people remember how they should pray.

In my lifetime, I've learned several other "prayer prompts," usually in the form of acronyms that help jog my memory. I was a teenager when I learned about JOY, which prompted people to praise and thank Jesus first, then pray for Others, and finally, to pray for Yourself. Another commonly used prayer prompt is ACTS, which stands for Adoration, Contrition (repentance), Thanksgiving, and Supplication (asking God to give us the things we want or need.) Just recently, as I've been reading Priscilla Shirer's book, Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer, I've come to appreciate the acronym, PRAY:

• Praise: Thank Him for completely forgiving you, cleansing you, changing you.
• Repentance: See the foolishness of anything that perpetuates old sin patterns, and by His Spirit walk away.
• Asking: Ask for freedom, for release, for the ability to deflect lies and embrace truth.
• Yes: Because you, by His resurrection power, can now walk in a new way of life.

Of course, during a crisis, all rules and guidelines are forgotten. When a car accident is imminent, we don't have time to follow a prayer prompt or pray a long prayer. God hears our simple cries for help, and knows what we need even before we ask. (Matthew 6:8) And when we are too distraught to formulate the words, Romans 8:26 assures us that "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans."

I know many Christians who sit down with their Bibles and a journal, writing down their prayer requests as they come to mind, so they can look back at their notes to be reminded how they intended to pray, and to see how God has answered earlier requests. Other people make lists of prayer requests, and set a particular time every day to pray about the specific things on their lists.

I learned, long ago, to pray in the car when I have to wait for a light to change, and when I can't sleep at night, I try to turn my worries over to God in prayer, or I pray for a particular person or situation that comes to mind in the middle of the night. I would like to pray my way through each day, but I find that it works better some days than others. Still, when I am concerned about a particular person's struggles, or worried about the great divide that is so obvious in our country now, or frustrated with Levi's inherent lack of respect, I am usually prompted to pray. I've found that God is always there, ready to listen and provide me with everything I truly need.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

If you are not accustomed to praying, I challenge you to try it. Just talk to God. He is waiting to hear from you.