By Charissa Toeller
The Lord says, "I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation." (Psalm 91:14-16)
Two weeks ago, I wrote the first of four articles based on the prayer study by John Mark Comer our middle and high school students are working through this summer. We are learning to expand our concept of prayer and make unfamiliar styles of prayer part of our regular communication with God. In my last article, I shared a concept Comer calls "Talking To God" using pre-written prayers as a learning tool. This week, we'll discuss the idea of talking with God, or inviting God into our lives via prayer in three ways: gratitude, lament, and petition/intercession.
Gratitude: Life is Full of Blessings
If you have kids, chances are you've wished they wouldn't take the things you do for them for granted! Since becoming a parent myself, I can much more easily picture God as a father. James 1:17 says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming from the father of the heavenly lights." It is nearly impossible to name everything God has provided for us. And if asked, most of us would acknowledge that we owe everything we have to Him. But just like our children can live their lives mostly without acknowledging what we do for them, we regularly take God's provision for granted.
When we begin talking with God, it's a great idea to start by humbly and joyfully acknowledging all He has done and is doing for us. Whether life is going great or terribly, there are numerous things we can be thankful for!
Lament: Life Is Hard
When I unexpectedly find one of my kids crying, can you guess my first question?
If I ask my children, "What's wrong?" I expect an answer. I'm their mom, and if it is possible and wise to change their circumstances, I will! I don't want them to bypass me to run to their friends to share what's bothering them, and I don't want them to bury their feelings and pretend nothing's wrong. We can think of lament prayers the same way. Thankfully, my kids don't usually ignore me when something is bothering them. More likely than not, they'd do the opposite, demanding my attention to fix it!
Would our prayers change if we thought more deeply about God being our Father? Doesn't it make sense that He would want us to share our feelings with Him openly and honestly? We live in a fallen world where things hurt us. No one understands this better than God. And no one wants to restore us more than God. If we need proof that God can handle being the first person we complain to and tolerate just how much we can complain, let's take a moment to examine a rather shocking lament psalm that God permitted to be included in the Bible:
Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Get up! Do not reject us forever. Why do you look the other way? Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression? We collapse in the dust, lying face down in the dirt. Rise up! Help us! Ransom us because of your unfailing love. (Psalm 44:23-26)
If the idea of praying like this makes you uncomfortable, it's okay...it makes me uncomfortable, too. But what I want you to take away from Psalm 44 is that we can come to God with whatever is on our hearts. I remember a particular lament prayer that followed a really hard season. It went something like, "What on earth are you doing? Why didn't you stop this from happening? Are you even there?" I've also prayed far less dramatic laments: "Lord, I'm tired today, and I don't feel like I can accomplish anything." "I don't know how to parent these kids today." And even, "I can't find my keys."
We know that God knows our hearts and minds already, but when we talk with Him in lament, we invite Him into our circumstances.
Petition and Intercession: Life is Meant To Be Lived With God
Petition and intercession are two sides of the same coin we can could call asking. Petitions are asking for things for ourselves, and intercession is asking on behalf of others. Like children, we're naturally pretty good at asking for things, especially for ourselves! Jesus references this exact kind of asking in Luke 11, right after teaching the Lord's prayer. He tells a story about someone asking a friend for a favor in the middle of night (an annoying time to be asked for something!) and the friend reluctantly agreeing to help. And then Jesus says, "If you who are evil know how to give good gifts...how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" God is the superior parent and friend. He never gets tired of us, and He doesn't struggle to manage us on top of other responsibilities. He's got the time, the ability, and the interest in hearing us.
Even though asking God for things comes naturally for many of us, here are a few suggestions from Comer to strengthen your intercessory prayers for others:
Prayer Cards - write a name on each of several index cards and choose a certain number of cards to pray through each day.
Praying the Room - As you pray, imagine yourself in a room with Jesus. Then imagine the person you are praying for in the room with you. Pay attention to how they look and what they are feeling. Pray as specifically for this person as you are able to. Pray what they've asked for prayer for, what is on your heart for them, or whatever the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Talking with God through petition and intercession invites Him to take an active role in changing our lives.
Your Turn
This week, give gratitude, lament, and petition/intercession a try. Pay close attention to the idea that you are not just talking at, but talking with God, and invite Him into your circumstances.
If you'd like to respond or share how you are growing in prayer, I'd love to hear from you! Just reach out to me using the contact form at the bottom of the website.
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