Out Of The Box
“And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites . .” Matthew 6:5
Pray – We all agree that prayer is essential for a deep relationship with the Father. Almost all of us would say that we need to pray more. But far too often we stumble around in prayer. We don’t have the clear, crisp, preacher voice, extolling God’s virtues in a magnificent display of rhetoric. Our prayers seem insipid and weak. We’re distracted. Our thoughts wander. We turn to the common categories of prayer in order to find direction. I am quite sure you are familiar with the acronym ACTS – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. If that doesn’t seem to be enough, there are other classifications available: petition, prayers of intercession, prayers of penitence, prayers of thanksgiving, and prayers of adoration.
All of these are helpful, but I think they miss the real point. Greek has basically one or two words for prayer (and a few extra tangents). English has one word. But Hebrew has more than two dozen. Furthermore, the idea of classifying prayer is quite Greek. Classification is about getting the right prayers in the right boxes so everything will be neat and tidy. Then we have a formula to follow, a pattern to practice. A few words of adoration, followed by a quick confession, some thanksgiving and then on to supplication. We know we have prayed correctly when we have included all the categories.
Can I be rather bold here? What was Yeshua’s complaint about the hypocrites? They followed ritualized prayer. They had their formulae and patterns. They thought prayer was about covering all the bases. Are we any different? We say the ritual blessings. We repeat the “Lord’s Prayer.” We make sure we have the right pattern. In fact, when we don’t pray like this, we are apt to think we aren’t praying effectively. Book after book, lesson after lesson tries to get us into categorized praying. But when we look at the Hebrew Scriptures, we see something very different. We see prayer as flow.
In Hebrew, prayer includes weeping, shouting, dancing, clapping, growling, pleading, rejoicing, praising, asking, arguing, questioning, meditating, repeating, reveling, working, walking, complaining, confessing, worshipping, thanking, acknowledging, delighting, exalting, forgiving, boasting and more. What ties all these participles together? Living! Prayer is God’s breath of life exhaled back to Him. It is the flow of living as He intended. It is the moment-by-moment consciousness of His presence in everything that affects me.
“When you pray,” says Yeshua, “don’t pray like those who use ritual, category, outward exhibition, proper eloquence or any other substitute for just being alive. Come to your Father as you are and enjoy being with Him.” When Abraham Heschel marched with Martin Luther King for civil rights, some Jews complained that he should have been at synagogue praying. Heschel understood the true nature of prayer. He responded, “I am praying with my feet.” Breathe!
Topical Index: pray, Matthew 6:5, hypocrite
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2.7)
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD! (Psalm 150.6)
Prayer is God’s breath of life exhaled back to Him. (Skip Moen)
To pray is to breathe! To pray is to become fully human! LORD, teach us to pray!
Stop. Sit. Breathe. “Enter in.” When Yeshua died, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. (I know this is a simple statement but,) G-d did that. He gave (we the people) access. We (the people- the common man) may “enter in.” Have you “been there?” -“Done that?”
There is absolutely nothing on this green planet to compare with this. To pray is to change. Prayer is a “game-changer.”
When G-d’s people pray.. “If my people who are called by my name..” Hallelujah for the cross! We now have a pathway of access leading into the very throne-room of YHWH! Listen again to His words.. “come unto me..”
“ing” words. Pray-ing, breath-ing, pray-ing… and…..action!
No breath, no life. No breath- no speech, song, dance, movement, etc. Pray without ceasing!!! 1Thess 5:17 Prayer is such a vital component of our relationship with Abba Father, knowing our need ahead of us, He GAVE to us:
Rom 8:26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for {us} with groanings too deep for words;
Rom 8:27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to {the will of} God.
Our Savior Reigns!
I too have struggled with being able to pray adequately. In particular, the “Pray without ceasing” left me puzzled. Now it becomes more clear. It is not some special “religious” act but how I leave my life that makes it possible. My whole life as an offering, in relationship with God. Now I see!
Not leave my life but LIVE my life.
Shalom Chevarim,
We see in numerous places in The Word where burnt offerings (offered up with the right heart attitude) are a sweet savour unto Adonai.
Revelations: 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Most assuredly The Word reveals a connection between prayer and sacrifice. Most assuredly The Word reveals that our “living” behavior is to be the sacrifice that is the incense … The sweet savour unto Adonai!
Romans: 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of Elohim, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Elohim, which is your reasonable service.
When we pray without living in the Glory of Yeshua it is the offering up of vain oblations which Adonai disdains! As Skip points out …. real prayer is loving our Lord with all our heart, soul and might!
If we want effective prayer than we had better be offering it up in conjunction with effective living!
Nice message Skip!
When I think of my daily relationship to prayer, I tend to think of the sounds of silence, walking, outdoors, letting go, breathing, thinking, meditating, waiting, relaxing, insight, inspiration, synchronization, connectivity, rejuvenation.
At some point, especially if I feel like I am wasting mental energy, I remember Matthew 6:7 and the instructions given to us by the Master:
Mat 6:7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.
Mat 6:8 “So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Mat 6:9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Mat 6:10 ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
Mat 6:12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Mat 6:13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.’
Thanks for the reminder that prayer is breathing, consciously and unconsciously. If you are interested, I wrote several TWs in the past years about the Lord’s prayer and some longer articles about some of the concepts and patterns. A really excellent book (out of print) is Ernst Lohmeyer, The Lord’s Prayer.
Hi Skip,
Sounds great. I would definitely like to read your TWs about the Lord’s prayer. And see if I can find a copy of Lohmeyer’s book.
Thanks,
Mike
Thanks Skip – great article. Challenging as always. Another book I think you’d really enjoy is one released in the last year or so called “A Prayer to Our Father” by Keith Johnson and Nehemia Gordon; it is all about their journey together to discover the Hebrew origins of the Lord’s Prayer. It is all the more interesting because Keith is a Christian Pastor and Nehemia is a Karaite Jew (and non-Messianic). Info at http://www.aprayertoourfather.com/.
Disclaimer: I am not associated with Nehemia, Keith or the book, I just found it to be worthwhile reading.
Blessings, all.
Rodney.
Thank you, Skip for this commentary on prayer. I was raised Southern Baptist and one thing that always scared me was that I never felt ‘I knew how to pray right’. I STILL struggle with that issue today at times. I’m glad to know that simply pouring out my heart to God is prayer as well as all the other varying ways you mentioned. I always felt like a scared rabbit so-to-speak never sure if my prayers were acceptable but trying anyway.
I gain much from your insights and understanding of Scripture.
Sincerely,
Melanie