I have become fond of using the "notes" function in bible gateway to write down prayers. Here is why.
One of the unfortunate effects of the reformation (at least the way the Reformation fruited out) was to turn away from structured, formalized, liturgical, organized, written prayers. This was deemed "Roman Catholic" and of course that was bad. We went free form and unscripted because that is more "genuine" (or "led by the Spirit"
) and our public prayers, when sincere, transformed from a formalized scripted liturgical prayer which was "dead" to the deep intensity of "FATHER GOD, O FATHER GOD, WE JUST REALLY NEED YOU O FATHER GOD. JESUS, LORD HELP US TO JUST REALLY POUR OUT OUR HEARTS AND JUST REALLY, FATHER GOD JESUS, HAVE YOU PRESENT BURNING IN OUR SOULS, FATHER GOD. GOD, JESUS, PRECIOUS JESUS, O GOD, STIR UP OUR BEINGS TO JUST REALLY LOVE YOU FATHER GOD. FATHER, LORD JESUS GOD, MAKE US REALLY JUST BURN FOR YOU!" etc etc.
I don't sneer AT ALL, as the passion and the purpose here are admirable. We could stand a lot more of this sentiment. HOWEVER, this is not what I see when I see the saints in the old and new covenants (testaments) praying. Their prayers are full of scripture, full of CONTENT about who God is, who we are, why God is worthy of praise, our own helplessness, sinfulness, and putting us in the place of utter dependence on a God who MUST act because his character and purpose demands it. It was almost like these guys understood something we have lost, and that is the truth that a deep passion for God is only SUSTAINABLE by prolonged reflection on His character and word, and practice in turning those truths back to him in prayer. I can work myself up to an emotional high pitch given the right music and atmosphere and I am all for that, but what I want is something that calls me back when I am bending chcken wire on Thursday, it bends and scratches me, and I am "God-damning" it in a rage, or my 91 year old mother is totally looped out of her head making insane and maniacal demands, or my wife is not the sweet kind loving doe whose breasts satisfy me at all times (an R rated quote from Proverbs, there). THAT is when I want my prayers for a passion for God to "work".... Anyone can raise their hands when the music is right. I want steel in my soul and not ephemeral flash that looks good on Sunday a.m.
The problem is that public prayers with meat, vs a flash fire like gasoline which flames up and out quickly.....like the ones in the bible or in some collection of Puritan Prayers (PIercing Heaven or The Valley of Vision) or the Book of Common Prayer, those MEATY and SUBSTANTIVE prayers only grow out of private prayers that are the same kind. We mostly pray private prayers in a "me" centered fashion, concerned almost exclusively with our own struggles, failures, needs, wants, and desires, unless we TAKE THE TIME to organize them around the scriptures themselves.
This is why I have take to making notes in the Bible Gateway app (it has this feature), taking observations, turning them into personal prayers and WRITING THEM DOWN in the app.
It does the following for me:
1) It provides a record to me of what I have prayed for . This morning I ran across a note I made in Galatians 2. It was a prayer I did not, and do not, remember making. However, God remembers it, and I know that, so I was encouraged to make it a sort of "well, how about this? I KNOW this is your will, and I even wrote this down, and if you tell the truth, are you not bound to do this? This is not a one shot Johnny request."
2) It structures my mind about God. I will kneel in prayer and my mind runs off to (I swear this is true), the national championship game of Alabama vs Ohio State YEARS ago, and before you know it, I am just discouraged and give up. Paul said "when I MAKE my prayers for you all......" implying the construction, measurement, organization, and attention which is simply not there when I free form it.
3) It clears up my perspective. From "GOD GIMME" to ... YOUR kingdom, YOUR will, YOUR honor.... and then I and my needs fit into that bigger plan.
4) It can provide a record of God acting. Many professing Christians will recite that "prayer works" but frankly don't believe it in their more honest moments. This is so because we don't pray and then when we do, and God answers, we dont' make a record of it. This is just one way to counter act that.
The happiest thought I can have as I post this is the thought that some day, on the other side of death, some member of CFF will tell me this was helpful and invoke Jesus to run the playback showing how.
One of the unfortunate effects of the reformation (at least the way the Reformation fruited out) was to turn away from structured, formalized, liturgical, organized, written prayers. This was deemed "Roman Catholic" and of course that was bad. We went free form and unscripted because that is more "genuine" (or "led by the Spirit"
) and our public prayers, when sincere, transformed from a formalized scripted liturgical prayer which was "dead" to the deep intensity of "FATHER GOD, O FATHER GOD, WE JUST REALLY NEED YOU O FATHER GOD. JESUS, LORD HELP US TO JUST REALLY POUR OUT OUR HEARTS AND JUST REALLY, FATHER GOD JESUS, HAVE YOU PRESENT BURNING IN OUR SOULS, FATHER GOD. GOD, JESUS, PRECIOUS JESUS, O GOD, STIR UP OUR BEINGS TO JUST REALLY LOVE YOU FATHER GOD. FATHER, LORD JESUS GOD, MAKE US REALLY JUST BURN FOR YOU!" etc etc.I don't sneer AT ALL, as the passion and the purpose here are admirable. We could stand a lot more of this sentiment. HOWEVER, this is not what I see when I see the saints in the old and new covenants (testaments) praying. Their prayers are full of scripture, full of CONTENT about who God is, who we are, why God is worthy of praise, our own helplessness, sinfulness, and putting us in the place of utter dependence on a God who MUST act because his character and purpose demands it. It was almost like these guys understood something we have lost, and that is the truth that a deep passion for God is only SUSTAINABLE by prolonged reflection on His character and word, and practice in turning those truths back to him in prayer. I can work myself up to an emotional high pitch given the right music and atmosphere and I am all for that, but what I want is something that calls me back when I am bending chcken wire on Thursday, it bends and scratches me, and I am "God-damning" it in a rage, or my 91 year old mother is totally looped out of her head making insane and maniacal demands, or my wife is not the sweet kind loving doe whose breasts satisfy me at all times (an R rated quote from Proverbs, there). THAT is when I want my prayers for a passion for God to "work".... Anyone can raise their hands when the music is right. I want steel in my soul and not ephemeral flash that looks good on Sunday a.m.
The problem is that public prayers with meat, vs a flash fire like gasoline which flames up and out quickly.....like the ones in the bible or in some collection of Puritan Prayers (PIercing Heaven or The Valley of Vision) or the Book of Common Prayer, those MEATY and SUBSTANTIVE prayers only grow out of private prayers that are the same kind. We mostly pray private prayers in a "me" centered fashion, concerned almost exclusively with our own struggles, failures, needs, wants, and desires, unless we TAKE THE TIME to organize them around the scriptures themselves.
This is why I have take to making notes in the Bible Gateway app (it has this feature), taking observations, turning them into personal prayers and WRITING THEM DOWN in the app.
It does the following for me:
1) It provides a record to me of what I have prayed for . This morning I ran across a note I made in Galatians 2. It was a prayer I did not, and do not, remember making. However, God remembers it, and I know that, so I was encouraged to make it a sort of "well, how about this? I KNOW this is your will, and I even wrote this down, and if you tell the truth, are you not bound to do this? This is not a one shot Johnny request."
2) It structures my mind about God. I will kneel in prayer and my mind runs off to (I swear this is true), the national championship game of Alabama vs Ohio State YEARS ago, and before you know it, I am just discouraged and give up. Paul said "when I MAKE my prayers for you all......" implying the construction, measurement, organization, and attention which is simply not there when I free form it.
3) It clears up my perspective. From "GOD GIMME" to ... YOUR kingdom, YOUR will, YOUR honor.... and then I and my needs fit into that bigger plan.
4) It can provide a record of God acting. Many professing Christians will recite that "prayer works" but frankly don't believe it in their more honest moments. This is so because we don't pray and then when we do, and God answers, we dont' make a record of it. This is just one way to counter act that.
The happiest thought I can have as I post this is the thought that some day, on the other side of death, some member of CFF will tell me this was helpful and invoke Jesus to run the playback showing how.
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