DIMENSIONS OF PRAYER

 Luke 18:13

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

                I have been puzzling over the question, what is effective prayer? Do our prayers have to be long and drawn out to be effective? Are long periods of prayer more pleasing to God than short prayers?

                In some ways, we have been taught that effective prayer requires long times of prayer. For a time, concerts of prayer were a mainstay of evangelical life. People would gather together to pray for extended times over the course of an entire day. Often fasting was included in these concerts of prayer. Personally, I found these experiences exhausting and, in some ways, discouraging. I have always felt guilty about that.

                Those who are more in tune with “the life of prayer” often point to notable examples of people who spent hours in prayer. For example, it is said that Martin Luther would get up early in the morning and pray for hours before he began his day. Examples like this energize some people and demoralize others.

                If we look at what the Bible has to say about prayer, we see a wide variety of examples. Jesus often spent entire nights in prayer. At other times, such as at the raising of Lazarus, His prayer was short and to the point. In the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew 6, Jesus warns us against long, repetitive prayers. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. (Matthew 6:7) In that same context, Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer, which is relatively short and to the point.

                The Gospel of Luke records a parable of Jesus that centered on effective prayer. (Luke 18: 9-14) Two men came to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee prayed long and loud about his piety and good works. The tax collector was repentant and asked only for God’s mercy. Verse 14 summarizes Jesus point about effective prayer. "I tell you that this man, (the tax collector) rather than the other, (the Pharisee) went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

                The Apostle Paul commends us to pray continually as we go through our day. He also challenges us to pray widely for a vast array of people. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:18) Prayer is an essential part of the Christian life. It is something that should be practiced on a daily basis. But there is a wide range of ways to pray. The most important thing about prayer is that it needs to be genuine.

                In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns against showy prayers that are really for the benefit of those who might hear. “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:5) I have been in prayer meetings where it was obvious that the person praying was really giving a sermon to those around them. Instead, Jesus said to go into your closet and pray in secret. In other words, there should be a single audience for our prayers; God.

                For me, I have to keep in mind that prayer is my response to God speaking into my life. Prayer is not for God, but for me; to redirect my thoughts and actions in His direction. God already knows our prayers before we pray them, as David explains in Psalm 139:4. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. In no way are our prayers a way to impress God with our holiness. Prayer is a conversation that calls us to be honest with ourselves and with God. We cannot hide even our thoughts from God. Prayer reminds us that God is fully aware of all that goes on in our lives.

                We need to be careful that we don’t turn prayer into some kind of performance; either for God or for others. Isaiah, speaking for God, warns against this. The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. (Isaiah 29:13)

                At the heart of effective prayer is our heart. Is our heart in tune with God or not? Are we being honest and genuine before God or are we putting on a show? In the end, the ultimate judge of our prayers in God, and no one else.

                So, which is it? Do our prayers have to be long and drawn out to be effective, or can we offer short prayers that are just as effective? If we see prayer as a genuine conversation with God, then there is a place for both. There are times when we should linger in prayer. There are other times when a short prayer is all that is needed. God did not make us to be cookie-cutter believers. He created each of us with a unique personality. He wants to interact with us within the dimensions of that personality. Our forms of prayer will reflect who God created us to be; whether we pray long or short.

Hebrews 10:22

…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.