HOW I MESSED UP PRAYER, Part 2

In my previous post (HOW I MESSED UP PRAYER, September 19) I spent time exploring the subject of how anxiety and worry can be made worse when we pray. I know it seems like prayer should help, but what I found out is that if we don’t pray in the right way it can actually add to our already stressed out state of mind.

I mentioned in my post that I would re-visit two of the words mentioned in Philippians 4:6 (NIV): PRAYER and PETITION. (“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”) There’s something about the way God wired my brain (once again God gets blamed for something), where when I read something in the Bible certain words seem to pop off the page and I want to learn more about their meaning.

The first word to look at is PRAYER. This is the Greek word, proseuche (pros-you-khay’). (If you’re not aware, Greek is the original language for most of the New Testament) Paul, who authored this letter to the Philippians, uses proseuche as a reference to prayer in a general sense. There also seems to be a sense in which this word refers to a place of prayer. I have found, and you probably have as well, that it’s a huge help to have specific times and places we devote to prayer. When we have a place that has been designated specifically for prayer, it impacts and influences our spirit. As we approach the time for prayer, our spirit begins to anticipate coming before the Lord. I think of scriptures that refer to this type of anticipation and preparation. Psalm 42:2 (NIV) is one which comes to mind: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” As we move towards our place of prayer, our spirit anticipates an encounter with the Living God. This is similar to the excitement we have when attending a special event (i.e. a new movie; sporting event; a date night with our spouse; etc.). We can have that same type of excitement as we draw near to our place of prayer. Having moved into a new home this summer, I haven’t established a place devoted to prayer. Writing this blog today reminds me of the importance of adding more structure to my prayer life.

The second word in Philippians 4:6 is PETITION. The NASV uses the word, SUPPLICATION. This is the Greek word, deesis (deh’-ay-sis) and it comes from another word, deomai (deh’-om-ahee). As I’ve reflected on the definitions for both of these words (from Strong’s Concordance) there are two thoughts that surface: One, Paul is referring to the simple act of bringing our needs to the Lord. I love 1 Peter 4:7 (NLT) “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.” Second, both of these words contain the idea of a certain level of intensity and intentionality we need in bringing our needs before the Lord. Paul seems to be suggesting our prayers should be brought to the Lord with boldness and even desperateness. Hebrews 4:16 (NLT) “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.” When I think about desperateness in prayer, my mind goes to the different scriptures that speak of people crying out to God and pleading their cause. Twenty plus years ago, the church where I was serving as a pastor started a ministry to Ukrainian emigrants. Observing these new friends in church was an interesting experience. One, they didn’t laugh much. Maybe I wasn’t as funny as I think I am. Second, when it came time to pray these people flat out got with it. While there was little outward emotion during the preaching, when it came time to pray the volume in the room increased significantly. I know volume isn’t the only or even best way to measure someone’s seriousness in prayer, but there was no doubt these friends were desperate for God to intervene in their lives.

I don’t know about you but there’s definitely room for improvement in my prayer life. Applying the full meaning of Philippians 4:6 is a good place to start.

HOW I MESSED UP PRAYER

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  (Philippians 4:6 NIV)

This used to be one of the harder verses in the whole bible for me. When I was going through a tough time in my life I would do what I’d been taught: I’d take it to the Lord in prayer. My experience was the more and more I would pray about the troubling circumstances the more anxious I would become. It was the exact opposite of my expectation based on the verse above. I would be embarrassed to admit how many years I struggled with this verse. In my struggle I would avoid praying about certain things because if I did it would cause me to become anxious. I knew I had things messed up and mixed up, because there’s no way the bible was wrong. Over a period of time and with the help of the Holy Spirit, the Teacher, I began to understand where I was going wrong. Instead of hurrying to the end of the verse where it says, “…present your requests to God.” I considered the whole thing. The most important part of the verse for me, especially if I’m battling anxiety and worry, are the two words, “with thanksgiving.” In my earlier experience, I thought the point of prayer was to tell the Lord what I needed him to do in my life, the prayer and petition part of the verse. Looking back it’s almost silly to think about how I would tell an all-knowing God about the circumstances causing my anxiety and then give him advice regarding how to fix things. I can’t say I’ve completely eliminated anxiety and worry from my life and that prayer always brings me peace. I can say that things are so much better now as I focus more on all the things I am thankful for. It’s helpful, in a big way, to remind myself of God’s faithfulness. Something very powerful happens in my heart, where anxiety tries to settle, when I think about the many different ways God has rescued, restored, and redeemed people (myself included) from situations that appear to be completely hopeless.

If you’re going through a particularly hard time right now I encourage you to include huge amounts of thanksgiving in your prayers. Remind yourself of God’s faithfulness. Resist the urge to tell the Lord how to fix your problems. It’s nice that you want to help him out, but God has dealt with situations far more difficult than yours so let Him do His thing.

In my next blog I want to look at the two words, PRAYER and PETITION. Until then…

“Keep your roots deep in him and have your lives built on him. Be strong in the faith…and always be thankful.” (Colossians 2:7 NCV)

“Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking…always be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15 NCV)

“No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT)

HUNGER IS NOT A GAME

Recently I’ve been intentionally working to change some things about my diet. Earlier this summer my wife and I were fortunate to be able to go on an 8-day Caribbean cruise. This was my first adventure on the high seas and everything I had ever heard about the massive spread of food 24/7 was true on the Carnival Valor. I restrained myself from totally gorging myself at every meal, but mostly tried to counter my appetite by making sure I exercised every day. I may have gained a few pounds, but not much by taking this approach.

The problem was AFTER I returned from vacation. My appetite was used to three meals a day plus snacks and I was back to my office where most of the time I was sitting behind a desk. It seemed like I approached every meal like it was “the last supper.” Even though it’s still summertime, when my weight is usually at it’s lowest level of the year, I noticed my clothing was become tighter. My weight has been pretty consistent over the past fifteen years, so I notice when I add a few lbs.

It’s been said that a person will go on a diet “when they’re thick and tired of it.” For me the first things to go were milk products. I’ve noticed I feel better when I limited my consumption of milk and cheese. I may even have a slight lactose intolerance. This is a hard one for me because I’ve always enjoyed dairy products, but I enjoy being healthy more. That’s a key right there isn’t it? When it comes to the foods we consume (both quantity and variety), we have to value health more than anything.

I noticed something significant as I began to limit dairy in my life. The “craving” for a tall glass of milk late in the evening, or a slice of cheese, or bowl of cereal, first diminished and then completely disappeared. Our habits change as we establish new habits. The things we “crave” may or may not be leading us to a place of health or a better life, but we have the power to change.

I’m now reaping the benefits of the recent changes in my diet. I feel better. My weight is the lowest it’s been in a year. In my next post I want to shift the subject to the things in our life we are hungering and thirsting for. Stay tuned!