Prayer 101: defining prayer

We talk about prayer and praying. We talk about the need to pray or wanting to have a vibrant prayer life. All of that is good but, what is prayer? 

Every religious system in the world has some type or method of prayer or prayer life. Even atheists pray (usually known as meditating). 

But what is prayer? How do we define prayer? What is prayer in the Judaeo-Christian context? And specifically, what should prayer be like for the Christian believer?

Before we can discuss something, we have to be able to define it. By defining prayer, we will keep our discussion in the proper context and with the proper focus.

Like many doctrinal issues, the Bible may not always provide an exact definition, however, throughout the passages of the Old and New Testaments, we have pictures of prayer. From these pictures, we are able to frame a working definition of what prayer is and what it is not. 

Throughout the ages, man has sought out deity. Regardless of where we are, the cities and suburbs of industrialized nations, the fields and valleys of rural countries or the most remote jungles, tundra, or desserts of the world, you will find men and women seeking after God. There is something in mankind's innermost being that wants communion with something or someone greater than himself. Man naturally seeks after God or god. God created us this way.

And as we seek, we ask questions. We call out to the sky or the trees or the mountains or the seas seeking God. And we're expecting an answer. Even in a moment of extreme joy or sorrow or aggravation, the atheist will cry out, "Oh God!", he's praying. And he's expecting an answer. In fact, he or she is probably demanding an answer. Such is the true heart of man.

Prayer, as defined by various dictionaries, is something like this: "A solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship". Simple enough, but it can also involve confession or even frustration. Christians typically involve 4 parts to prayer: Adoration, Praise, Supplication, and Confession; not necessarily in that order or in each time of prayer.

For many who are not born-again believers in Jesus Christ, prayer is something rote like the Lord's Prayer or the Hail Mary, or even the  Apostle's Creed. The words are spoken, but have they been internalized?  Has the meaning of the words been fully grasped?

Particularly the Lord's Prayer (actually the disciples' prayer, but that's splitting hairs), it's a  great model to follow. Jesus had been asked by His disciples a simple  question, "Lord, teach us to pray." And so Jesus gave them a model or outline of what prayer should include or look like. 

They were to: 1-  acknowledge God as their Father and His holiness (adoration), 2 -  acknowledge that God is in control of all things and we are seeking His will first (praise), 3 - ask for God's provision (supplication), 4 -  confess our sins and misdeeds and seek divine guidance (confession). 

We are to "fill in the blanks" as it were, as we construct our own prayers.  We are not to pray as the "hypocrites" (the teachers of the law,  Pharisees, scribes, priests, and others of Jesus' time - even those of today - Matthew 6:5) who were loudly praying showy prayers as they walked about the Temple area. Nor are we to "babble as the pagans"  (Matthew 6:7) using far too many words directed to objects that can do nothing about their requests or circumstances. We are instructed to get alone by ourselves and seek God's face.

The bottom line, in my opinion, is that prayer is nothing more than speaking to God; and having a conversation with God. We are to speak as to our Father or someone we dearly love, and then close our mouths and listen. After all, conversation is when two people are speaking with one another. One speaks, and the other listens and responds. 

We believers in Jesus Christ are particularly privileged to pray because we are able to pray in the power of the Holy Spirit. Because we have the  Holy Spirit living inside of us (due to our accepting the finished work of Jesus for the removal of our sins and redemption of our souls), we are able to speak AND listen. But now the question becomes, why do we pray? We pray because it is now a part of who we are in Christ. We are new creations. We have the individual ability to commune with our Father in Heaven. But that's just the beginning.

What is prayer and why do we pray is a two-fold part of the believer's life. We pray because we can. We pray because we are supposed to; in fact, I'd say that we are obliged to pray. But there are two specific reasons.

John Piper in his excellent book "Desiring God" uses Jesus' words and says that we pray for two pursuits: Pursuing to Glorify God (John 14:13) and Pursuing our own joy (John  16:24). Let's briefly take a look at these two verses. Piper refers to this as a part of "Christian Hedonism" (a great read, in chapter 6 of that book); praying to "get".

"And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son." John  14:13. When we ask God when we petition God, we are obviously talking to Him; we are praying. Notice what Jesus is saying though, there's an unstated "caveat" that we are not only IN God's Will, but we are also seeking God's Will and not OUR will. When we are in God's Will, seeking God's Will, He will answer prayer. Why? Because that answer to that prayer, which is part of the Will of God, brings Glory to HIM. The Son always operates in the Father's Will, thereby bringing Glory to the  Father. Remember, whether you like it or not, it's always about God, not us.

The next verse, John 16:24, now includes us, believers. "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." Again, we have to remember to be asking in Jesus's name. The inference is that we are seeking God's Will to be done. We are seeking answers and petitions that will glorify Him in the process. When that happens, we get joy! 

Think about it, pretend (ha!) you're in God's Will. Now pretend that your specific prayer is perfectly in tune with that Will; you want it to  "happen"; you want that prayer need to come to pass. Because that petition is meant to be a part of God's Will and Plan, He will positively answer it (at the right time of course). And because you prayed it - and especially if the need is of a personal nature - the answer to that prayer is overwhelming. It brings YOU joy. It also has brought glory to God. You can't get better than that.

Piper goes on to cite an incredible story and answer to prayer. 

The date is the summer of 1857. The place is New York City. The nation is suffering a great time of economic turmoil; a time much like today. A  man by the name of Jeremiah Lanphier had been commissioned by the North  Church of the Dutch Reformed denomination to basically "go out and get some church members". Many churches were losing membership due to the  failing economy. People were moving away to wherever they could find work. And so, Jeremiah put out an open invitation for local businessmen to come and pray (I would say that that's in God's Will).  

So finally on Wednesday, September 23rd of that year, at 12 o'clock noon,  Lanphier opened the church to pray. The clock ticked away the minutes.  No one came. One person sitting in a church is lonely. But, Lanphier waited and prayed. Finally, after 30 minutes as the story goes, someone else came into the church to pray. Soon there would be six people attending this prayer gathering. And they prayed. They prayed for God to move in New York City to bring people to Himself. They would meet again the following week.

The following week, to Lanphier's surprise(?), forty people showed up to pray. They prayed and they also decided to meet daily rather than just weekly. 

Piper puts it this way, "Within six months, ten thousand businessmen were gathering daily for prayer in  New York, and within two years, a million converts were added to the   American churches...Undoubtedly the greatest revival in New York's colorful history was sweeping the city, and it was of such an order to make the whole nation curious. There was no fanaticism, no hysteria, simply an incredible movement of  the people to pray." (Desiring God, chapter 6).

Thus was the beginning of the Great Awakening in the United States. Jeremiah  Lanphier was in pursuit of God's Glory; of God being Glorified (John  14:13). He did that through prayer. And as Lanphier prayed, he also pursued his own joy. I'm sure that his joy was "complete" (John 16:24).  Lanphier prayed and spoke with his God. God's Glory, our joy. 

Quoting Piper, "Prayer, perhaps more clearly than anything else, preserves the unity of these two pursuits."  So the definition of prayer is speaking to God with His Glory and our joy in mind. What a great conversation! 

May we seek the same. May we pray as honestly and earnestly, believing that  God wants us to pray. He longs to be in fellowship with us as individuals. We were created to commune with Him.