LENT II
March 13, 2022
“Lord, Teach Us to Pray”
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1)
What is it about finding a way to be in prayerful communication with our heavenly Father that is difficult, awkward, or even intimidating? Are we afraid we’ll do it “wrong” or perhaps won’t express ourselves very well? We might think of prayer as something to be approached rather formally, as if we’re giving a presentation or speech and need to be well organized and knowledgeable on the subject. Or do we turn to childhood prayers, embarrassed that that’s the best we can do?
Prayer in church is much more comfortable, as we pray together the familiar words of the Lord’s Prayer, participate in the responsive prayer and the group prayer of confession. Worship begins and ends with prayer, and we listen quietly to the reverent Words of Institution as we prepare to receive Holy Communion. When you think about it, much of our weekly worship service is in the form of prayer, so we should be completely at ease with praying, right?
Well, not necessarily. I know that there are occasions when I hope to relate to God through prayers of eloquence and clarity. But it’s easy to get hung up on getting the wording “just right”, and is so unnecessary. After all, I believe that God knows me and will hear and understand me regardless of how elegant (or not) my phrasing is. But, for all of us, there are those times when our hearts are heavy, we’re overwhelmed with worries and sorrows, and we need to find a way to bring these burdens to our Father who will hear us.
Throughout the Bible we read words of assurance that God does hear our prayers, however inadequately worded and stumbling they may be. The Book of Psalms reflects virtually every human condition, as the psalmist expresses thanks and praise, fears and complaints, questions and reflections. The psalmist reaches toward God, knowing that God will hear and respond. The Gospel of Luke tells us that the disciples witnessed Jesus in prayer and then asked him to teach them to pray. In response to their request, he taught them the Lord’s Prayer. Encouraging the church in Rome to be faithful in prayer, Paul wrote: “The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27).
We live in stressful, frightening times, and often feel overwhelmed by the prevalence of evil, danger, and misery in this world. Our ancestors in the faith experienced these fears as well, and, just as they did, our heavenly Father encourages us to bring our brokenness, our grief, our anger and our fears to him.
Sheltered and protected in God’s care,
Your Friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers