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.