on the walk

I have a terrible prayer life.

On an unrelated note, I was talking with a 13 year old kid about a year ago about Ultimate (the sport played with a Frisbee). I saw that he had received a new disc as a present and that packaged with the disc was a DVD about the rules and techniques of ultimate Frisbee. He had watched the DVD several times and was excited to talk to me. I had played in college and he was eager to discuss the finer points of the Ultimate rule book. After a while of talking he asked if I wanted to watch the DVD. I responded by suggesting that we go outside and throw. He was surprised at my suggestion and we went outside. After a few minutes outside it was clear to me that he had spent more time watching the DVD than he had throwing Frisbee.

When it comes to prayer, I am like that kid. I know the rules, I have all the right equipment, but I have not been disciplined in prayer. I have studied much about what a life of prayer could be but I have experienced little.

As in all areas of Christian life there is an opposite error. (One that does not threaten me.) There are some that teach that prayer need not be learned. To many people find themselves using language like, “You don’t need to learn how to pray, just start talking to God and you are praying.” I know that this is not true. If it were true, then Jesus would have told his disciples when they came to him and said, “Teach us to pray.”

However simply because there are things to be taught, this does not mean that teaching is enough. The error to which I am prone is this one. For some reason whenever the inadequacy of my prayer life rises in my consciousness, my first response is to read a book about pray. I don’t need to read another book on prayer. I need to pray.

This is a perfect example of a situation where it is so easy to see the problem in others and be blind to oneself. Those who pray with passion and frequency but not in submission to what Christ has taught about prayer are most likely to insist that teaching and study about prayer is not needed. All that is needed is more prayer. And those like me who have studied prayer much but practiced it little are most likely to suggest more study and forget to actually pray.

In response to this need, I hope to feature as a regular part of this blog a series of posts on “praying with Jesus.” In Jesus we find the perfect balance. He prayed. He prayed a lot. And he taught about prayer.

A friend at Mountain recently asked me to review a book called “With Jesus in the School of Prayer.” I haven’t finished it yet. So far though it is pretty good. (I never agree with everything, including myself.) The theory of the book is wonderful. It simply and carefully considers all that Jesus teaches about prayer.

So by this book I have been inspired and for as long as it takes I want to look through the gospels and consider every text in which Jesus teaches or models prayer. We will study these texts. Seek to learn more about prayer. I I hope that we will then do something with these texts. For my part. I plan to pray.

on the walk

-Ethan

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