Prayer is relationship
Consider the elements that contribute to a healthy
relationship: you might think, for instance, that time should
be invested, not only doing things together but simply being
together; you might suggest that listening is important, each
person being truly heard by the other; you might want to say that
complete transparency and honesty are essential. Make a
list of the five or six most important elements. Now ask yourself,
what is the place for this in my relationship with God?
Prayer is trust
Take some time to reflect on your walk with God
over the past 12 to 24 months. Ask yourself where are the high spots
where you have truly trusted God, and where are the low spots, where
you have given way to fear? What made the difference? What can you do
to see fear expelled? Try noting in a journal the things you have
said and done that might be construed as being born out of fear –
then, on another page, those things born of trust. Do you see a
pattern in the difference between the two? Are there ways you can
shift the balance from being fearful to trusting?
The empty chair
Therapists sometimes use a technique of recreating
a conversation you have had in the past by asking you to talk to an
empty chair, imagining that the person is there in front of you. Try
doing the same for a while with God. Rather than praying to a God
“somewhere out there”, imagine God on a chair beside you. What do
you want to say?
Emmaus Road
If you have struggled in recently to find time to
pray, take a literal walk with God. If possible, walk somewhere where
people will not think you crazy for talking to yourself. Book some
time: two hours; a morning; a whole day and talk to God as you walk.
Shout at him if you have to; cry if you need to. Imagine him asking
you “So how is life going for you?” and “How do you feel about
that?” and “What would you ask me if nothing was considered off
limits?”
Table for two
A few years ago we created a prayer installation
in the church on the day of the village fête. Part of it consisted
of a table, laid for two, with a jug of juice. Each person was
invited to take a seat, pour themselves a drink and dine with Jesus.
Given such an invitation, what would you talk about?
Letters of love
If you sometimes find it hard to talk to Go, write
to him. Write, “Dear God ...” and then say what you've been
trying to say. Explain yourself; ask your questions; express your
feelings. Sign off with love, then seal the letter and set it aside.
Three months later, read it and ask, “Did God answer?”
His prayer – your prayer
Use the words of the Lord's prayer as your
framework for prayer. After each phrase, simply pray about the things
that come to mind. If you run out of time, write some of the things
down to pray about later. Come back daily to the list. Pray daily;
ask daily; forgive daily; seek guidance daily. Let the categories
sparked by the Lord's Prayer become the categories in which you pray:
use the filing cabinet Jesus designed for you because he knew that
you would need one ...
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