"Additionally, the tendency of these times is to an ostentatious parade of doing what enfeebles the life and dissipates the spirit of praying. There may be kneeling, and there may be standing in prayerful attitude. There may be much bowing of the head, and yet there may be no serious, real praying. Prayer is real work. Praying is vital work. Prayer has in its keeping the very heart of worship. There may be the exhibit, the circumstance, and the pomp of praying, and yet no real praying. There may be much attitude, gesture, and verbiage, but no praying."
Me, right about now, under no special circumstances, know this to be oh so true. Inevitably, I find the outcome or inability to pray truthfully is due to a lack of acknowledgment; rooted and born in my flesh, of the Father's presence. Speaking aloud, or even praying silently is an acknowledgment of the Lord, His sovereignty, and His Lordship over my life. My lack of prayer is simply an abundance of my own personal pride.
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2 comments:
That has always been an area that I have struggled with. I can give lengthy prayers, prayers that hit all the right buttons, but sincere prayer of crying out to God? That is where I fail so often. To pray sincerely we must abandon self-confidence, which is hard for many of us and especially me, to do.
Is perhaps part of this because we have formalized prayer into rote activities. We pray at these appointed times during church, we pray at meals, we pray before bed. Should we not pray without ceasing, pray compulsively, pray spontaneously?
Well the rote praying can be easily seen as following someone else as they pray, or letting prayer only be the job of the pastor or leader if you will. This narrows the intercession down to a singular individual and marginalizes those who are crying out in heart but with no avenue to express it.
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