Hello again! I’m Pastor Greg Hartmann and I recently started a series of blogs that will cover a variety of topics. These blogs are meant to give you a more in-depth look at how God is working in the life of our church. In this blog, I want to share my thoughts on the role of prayer and meditation.
Is your prayer life dictated by how stressed you are? Or is it something you just recite and you aren’t really sure what you are even saying?
Praying is the foundation for my walk with Christ. And my prayer is that you will come away with that same enthusiasm at the end of this blog.
Just in case you would like to check out any of the previous blogs, please visit here to view.
What is prayer?
Praying should be like breathing for Christians. We need prayer to live. At least to live the life that God wants us to. Over my years of ministry, I have had numerous people tell me that prayer is one of those things that they really struggle with. For many, they feel too busy. Or they just don’t know what to say to God. Some simply don’t think they really need to pray or if they do it is only when a big crisis is happening. In all of those instances, I have tried to break down for them the importance of prayer and meditation while giving them ideas on how to start their prayer life.
So what exactly is prayer? Well, according to Dictionary.com, prayer is:
Noun
1. a devout petition to God or an object of worship.
2. a spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession.
That is a decent explanation of what prayer is in its most basic form. But there is so much more to prayer! The secular world sees prayer as us just hoping or wishing something to come true. For many, who don’t know Jesus, prayer is a silly thing. And yet there are so many people who call out to God in times of distress and disaster. It’s almost like our DNA knows that we are inferior to who created us. (*Spoiler alert* our DNA knows that we were created to worship because He who created us designed us that way.) Prayer is a survival tactic that even the most staunch atheists have found themselves participating in.
If atheists call out to God with prayers, then the power of prayer is evident. If even those who don’t believe see the value in praying, then why don’t we? Maybe it’s because we don’t truly grasp the immensity of being able to speak to God. Or maybe we just feel like He doesn’t hear our prayers anyway. Regardless of where you are right now, prayer is an essential function of our faith.
Let’s define it further
Prayer is what allows us to discern the will of God. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard this statement “Pastor Greg, how do I know what God wants me to do in this situation?” My first response is always this “Have you been praying and asking God for His will to be done in this situation?” See prayer is not to be treated like God is a genie in a bottle who you just ask wishes to be granted. No. God already has His will for your life. You just have to decide if you are going to be a hindrance or of help to it.
Praying grants you an audience to the King and we should treat it as such. You are entering into His presence. If God was physically standing in front of you would you instantly start with your list of demands of what you want? Or would you fall on your face and worship Him? God already knows what we need. He just wants us to take the first step into cultivating the relationship.
I don’t need an appointment to speak with our King and I don’t have to fight for His attention. I don’t even really have to say anything. Sometimes I just meditate on His goodness and think about the things He has done for me and my family. You see prayer is what guides me in every facet of my life. My communication with God is paramount in keeping Him at the center of my life. The constant communication allows me to stay focused on Him and lead our church. Should I find a new job? What college should I attend? Am I ready to have kids? You can find answers to these types of questions through prayer and meditation. Let’s lean in and learn when we should pray.
When do we pray?
Some people view prayer as something you only do when you need something from God or when you sit down for dinner. While both of those instances are great reasons to communicate with the Father, those shouldn’t be the only times you speak with Him.
In 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 17, Paul, the writer of this letter, said this; Pray without ceasing.
When I pray
I don’t know about you but that seems like a great answer as to when we should be praying. Praying constantly may seem like a daunting task but it’s more doable than you are probably imagining. We all have more free time in our day than we realize. It’s all about how we use said time.
I pray when I drive. I pray before studying God’s word. I pray when things are going well and when they’re not. Praying is something I try to do constantly. Having that running conversation with God is so needed for me. His wisdom and guidance are what I need to lead Vineyard Church.
Finding time to pray
The average American checks their phone 344 times a day. That’s once every 4 minutes! Maybe, instead of checking our phones for the 132nd and 245th times of the day, we should take that time to commune with the creator of the universe who loves us. He spoke everything we know into existence and all He wants is to hear from us. He is always available and all we have to do is reach out and start the dialogue.
Finding time to pray shouldn’t be seen as a chore. God doesn’t want you to just check the box when it comes to praying. Think of it like this. Whenever you are having a conversation with someone who doesn’t seem interested, it is offputting, isn’t it? If we can tell when someone isn’t interested then God can definitely tell. We should specifically set aside moments in our day to speak with Him. We need to make it a priority and not just a parachute when we’re falling. I don’t know about you but I needed that reminder.
Why do we pray?
As a pastor, prayer is fundamental in my relationship with the Lord. And guess what? It is fundamental in your relationship with Him too. “How do you mean?” You may ask. Well, let’s think about every relationship you have ever had. When you have had daily interactions and discussions with someone, how was the relationship? I would guess that your answer is that it was a fruitful one.
If I only talked to my wife when I needed something from her or I only spoke to her at the dinner table, we would have a very superficial relationship. Trust me, you don’t want to have a shallow relationship with the Lord. He wants to hear from you! Prayer gives us direct access to the Father. He tells us to ask for wisdom and knowledge and He will freely give it. So, why don’t we? Probably because we think we can do it on our own. Maybe we feel like our need isn’t great enough to bring to Him. The truth is that none of us can make it through this world on our own. And there is nothing that is “too small” to God. If we care, He cares.
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Phillippians 4:6-7
Prayer is God’s way of providing us with peace and understanding.
Scripture tells us to pray and think (meditate) on His word daily. If I am not hearing from Him or receiving clarity on decisions then I’m hopeless. Because at the end of the day, I am nothing without Him. And every great relationship needs great communication. If I don’t meditate on His word then I can’t understand His will. That’s never a space I want to find myself.
How do we pray?
In Matthew chapters 5-7 we see Jesus giving His Sermon on the Mount. In chapter 6 He teaches us exactly how we should be praying.
5 “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 others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
I could write pages breaking down just these few verses but I will spare you of that. So, all I will add is this; God knows our hearts and we can’t separate ourselves from the need for prayer.
The power of prayer
There will come a time in your life, if it hasn’t already, when you are going to need others praying for you fervently. I have seen miracles happen when we come together and pray over the sick and the hurting. I have seen God open doors that seemed sealed shut. And I believe it was directly from the prayers of people who were daily pursuing God. I have had instances where I know there are people praying for me because I can feel it. I don’t know how to describe it but you can. The peace that overcomes you wraps you in a warm blanket and you just know that everything is going to be okay. That power is available to us. All we have to do is pray.
Do you have a prayer request that you would like our staff to also be praying about? You can visit here and make your request right now. We have different options available for you to remain anonymous and to have confidentiality. The power of prayer is real, so let us come alongside you in whatever it is you need guidance with.
How do I start my prayer life?
Are you communicating with the Lord daily? Maybe you have been a Christ follower for decades or maybe you have only recently discovered Jesus but the fact remains the same. Prayer is essential in your walk with the Lord. My advice for starting a healthy prayer life is to find even just a few minutes in your day where you can be away from distractions and be by yourself. Simply say “Father”, out loud or in your mind. Calm your thoughts and listen.
Start doing this on a daily basis and I promise you that your relationship with God will be so much stronger as He reveals Himself to you. As Paul tells us in Romans 12, be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
How do we do that? Through prayer and meditation. Only then will we begin to see our lives with the perspective that God wants us to.
If you want to learn more about having a healthier prayer life, please join us for our in-person worship on Sunday mornings at 8:30, 10, and 11:30. You can also watch the 10 am service live at VCKC.com.
Pastor Greg Hartmann