As we begin a new year with an emphasis on prayer in the life of our church, it’s worth pausing to consider what exactly we are emphasizing. What is prayer?
For some, prayer is merely talking to God. The Lord speaks to us in the Bible and we speak to him in prayer. This is right and good. Prayer is verbal communication with the God who has revealed himself in the Bible. In fact, the richest prayers are those prayed in response to God’s revelation of himself in the Bible. A great way to deepen your prayers this year is to read the Bible regularly and then pray through what you read. God speaks in the Bible, we respond in prayer.
This approach to prayer tends to focus on supplication or bringing requests to God. The highest aim of prayer in this view, as one writer says, is “fervent supplication for the kingdom of God to come to fruition in the world and in our own lives.” This kind of prayer usually consists of boldly bringing our needs to God without expecting to feel his immediate presence.
Prayer that is merely talking to God is not wrong, but is that all there is to prayer? Is it wrong to desire to experience a clear sense of God’s presence in prayer?
Some would say that prayer is mostly about experiencing God’s presence, or mostly about communion with the Lord. In the West, there is a renewed interest in ancient meditation and contemplative practices, things like centering prayer or listening prayer. Contemplative spirituality is a growing pursuit among Christians and non-Christians alike. But is prayer merely subjective experience, with very little talking and lots of inner searching?
Which view of prayer is best? Is prayer more a conversation or an experience? Those in doctrinally conservative churches (like PHBC) can sometimes be suspicious of or hesitant to pursue experiences of God’s presence. But in our prayer life do we have to choose between supplication and spiritual experience?
The twentieth century Scottish theologian John Murray was known for his theological precision. But in one sermon, after talking about laying the foundation of the gospel, he said we should “get an experience of the power of the gospel…in and upon your own hearts, or all your profession is an expiring thing.” He said elsewhere, “It is necessary for us to recognize that there is an intelligent mysticism in the life of faith…of living union and communion with the exalted and ever-present Redeemer…The life of true faith cannot be that of cold metallic assent. It must have the passion and warmth of love and communion because communion with God is the crown and apex of true religion.”
According to Murray, true faith creates deep experiences of communion with the Lord. So we don’t have to choose between supplication and spiritual experience; they go together. It was Jesus after all who said that we should worship him “in spirit and truth” (Jn. 4:24).
While some emphasize prayer as communion and others emphasize prayer as talking with God, it seems that prayer can be both. Prayer is both adoration and supplication, communion with God and seeking the kingdom of God. In his excellent book on prayer, Tim Keller says that prayer is “both conversation and encounter with God.” Prayer is talking to God and meeting with God, and it’s a good gift available to all who will have it.
Wanting to Grow in Prayer this Year, With You,
Pastor John