Now What? – Rewind
Today I will be traveling to Israel where I will be for 3 weeks, then on to Spain, then Greece and finally home 6 weeks from now. As you can imagine, writing Today’s Word every day while putting in these kind of miles is a bit daunting. So, here is an official “rewind,” a TW from some time ago that one of my best friends told me she liked very much. In the next few weeks I will have to do another one or two (?) of these just to stay afloat, if you don’t mind.
for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; Romans 8:26
How To Pray – Is this really the problem? Does Paul mean to say that we don’t know how to pray? It doesn’t seem so. Prayer is ultimately about communion with God. It is about all of the emotional, volitional, cognitive and embodied elements that bridge the gap between who I am and who God is. I don’t think I really have any serious concerns about how I pray. I know that the Hebrew words cover the range from growling to weeping, from shouting to dancing and from pleading to praising. The real problem is that I don’t know what to pray. I don’t really know what God is doing in the circumstances of my life, so I don’t really know what to say that will align my heart with His purposes. I am stuck with the finite version of the eternal plans of God. More often than not, I am at a loss for true perspective.
Someone is sick. What should I pray? Should I pray for healing? What if that is not what God is doing with these circumstances? Someone lost a job. Do I pray for another, or is God teaching something else? At every hand I am confronted with confusion. How can I pray rightly if I do not know the mind of God first? Do I just toss up words and add the “if it is Your will” catch-all at the end? Paul seems to say something else.
First, the Greek phrase does not include the word pos (how). Therefore, any translation that adds this thought doesn’t seem to be correct. There is also no justification for adding the “for” in a translation such as “what to pray for.” Paul literally says, “because what we may pray as we ought, we do not know.” Leon Morris comments: “But we cannot hide behind a plea of ignorance and give up on prayer. Prayer is part of the Christian life. . . We must pray aright, and since we cannot do that, the Spirit comes to our aid.” Paul’s comment is not an excuse for incapacity. It is a description of our finitude. We don’t know what to pray because in our brokenness in a broken world we cannot know what to pray. Unless God shows up in our prayers, we are simply guessing.
The Greek verb here is proseuchomai, the standard New Testament word for praying. It is a general category word, covering all the elements of prayer. Paul isn’t saying that we lack insight when it comes to intercession or supplication. He is saying that the human condition leaves us deficient in all aspects of prayer. If you have ever struggled in conversation with God, you know that Paul speaks the truth. Prayer is very difficult. Without the Spirit, there is always an awareness of inadequacy in the experience.
A lot of us recognize this problem, but now what? Perhaps it helps to recognize that the Hebrew approach to prayer almost always focuses on praise and blessing for God. In fact, most prayers in the Siddur (the Hebrew prayer book) are filled with blessing and praising God’s name, His works and His faithfulness. There seems to be a lot less concern about human needs and supplications. What comes to the forefront is the magnificence and majesty of God. Maybe these prayers don’t struggle so much with the issue of incapacity because they start by acknowledging the impossibly wide gap. Furthermore, when the prayers of the Siddur do bring needs before the King of the Universe, the attitude is always focused on the transformation of the supplicant’s heart in order to be content with the sovereign will of the King. In other words, the prayer is not so much about what we want God to do as it is about becoming pliable and accepting His purposes. Prayer is real petition, but it focuses on the degree of my contentment. God’s sovereignty always trumps my desires and I need to absorb that.
Finally, it might be helpful to see that prayer is a duty, not simply a desire. We are commanded to pray. That means we must pray in spite of our feelings about the situation. How easy it is to shed the discipline of prayer when we are discouraged or downtrodden. But prayer is not emotionally based. Prayer is the requirement to talk to Him about it. “Why didn’t you come to me sooner,” is God’s answer to our hesitancy. We need to make prayer a discipline of life. Once again, this is demonstrated in the Siddur which begins prayer at the very moment we wake and has prescribed prayers for nearly every activity in the day. Maybe the rabbis knew how quickly we lose sight of God in the hustle and bustle of life, so they built into the training process the constant reminders of Creator conversation. Paul concurs with his exhortation, “Pray without ceasing.”
In personal confession, I recognize that I do not know what to pray. That often leads me to not pray, since I can see no way out of the circumstances I face. I don’t know what to do, so I don’t know what to ask. Not knowing what to ask, I ask nothing at all. But this is a terrible and debilitating mistake and an awful display of arrogance. Who am I to know? The solution to the problem is not asking God to assist me with my solutions. I don’t have a solution. Therefore, I am left with pouring out my heart-felt struggle without an answer. That opens the door for the Spirit. All I have really done is come to the Father with these words on my lips: “I do not know what to pray, Father, but I know who You are. Let my heart be molded to Your purposes. That is enough for me.”
This isn’t the end of the story, but it is a beginning.
Topical Index: prayer, proseuchomai, Siddur, contentment, Romans 8:26
This is the best thing I’ve read on pray since I don’t know when. I’m going to read it to my congregation this morning. The end of my sermon calls us to invite the Holy Spirit to lead us…this focus on prayer, not on the right words, but the right heart fits too beautifully. Praise be to God, to whom I give thanks for integrating disparate things to lead us to Him.
Please encourage your congregation to become active members of At God’s Table rather than just listeners to someone who is a reader.
Thanks
This is just what I needed to HEAR (shema)! Thank you, and may you experience the protection and guidance of The Almighty on your trip. Don’t worry about ‘reruns,’ they are often in order. 🙂
Are you kidding about ‘do i mind if you “rewind”‘? I’m a newcomer. It’s ALL ‘first run to me’! have fun!
Well, at last count there are about 4500 Today’s Word studies as I wander around Scripture. So I will have a lot of material to choose from.
Re-run re-runs if you wish – I am pretty certain I didn’t catch it all the first time!!!
Skip, do you or other community members have a recommendation for a good Siddur? I would prefer one that has both Hebrew and English translations.
The Complete ArtScroll Siddur, published by Mesorah Publications, ltd. is the one my wife has. It has both English and Hebrew and footnotes. It has 1086 pages. There are simpler ones that are used in Synagogues and at the Kotel (Western/Wailing Wall). Shalom, Michael
This is the Siddur I use too. Although even here a careful reading will show you where Hellenism affected the rabbis. As always, use what is good, bless what is great, critique what does not align with the Word.
Skip – Every word was about my issues with prayer. I feel free for once. I am eager to internalize what you have written. My relationship with the Father is already different because of these insights. Please re-run other essays regarding prayer. And I’d like to have a good Siddur too.
Greetings from Virginia Beach.
“I am left with pouring out my heart-felt struggle without an answer. That opens the door for the Spirit.”
Praise God! EXACTLY what YHVH wants of us.
Be safe, Skip… and learn so that you can teach us!
Quite a while ago, I started a favourites subfolder in my email. I think it now has more than my regular TW folder. I have to start a favourites of the favourites… Thanks Skip far all that you have put into this.
subfolders are good. Thanks
Our first prayer must be the prayer of presentation. “Here am I” (or in Hebrew, heneni). We present ourselves before Him, and we must remember, He invites us to do so.. ~Come unto Me~ “the Fount of every blessing” ~ every good and perfect gift is from Above ~.. Did anyone else hear the word “every?” Anything good we might either have or desire has a Source- the ~ Fount of every blessing.. ~ It all comes from Him. This I realize and recognize and then? My response? Thanksgiving and praise. Here are some suggested words: “Thank you ABBA-Father..”
We pray and we approach our Father as little children. Leave EGO outside. And let us remember and return to the construction of the temporary tabernacle, from the outside/in. ~ what do the scriptures say? Don’t judge the tabernacle by its outer covering? lol!
No. ~ We are to: ~ enter His gates with thanksgiving and (then) into His courts with praise. (We are to) be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name! (Why?) For the LORD is good, His mercy (mercies-hesed-lovingkindnesses) are new every morning.. (morning by morning new mercies I see!) and (Yes) “Great is Your faithfulness, O God my Father..” And now for the “truth stamp.” The amen. It is so, amen.
One more thing, a very critical thing that must be done before “any man” enters into the Presence of the Holy One. We must be cleansed and we must be covered. Why? Because we are sinful and God is holy. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His truth (His word) is not in us. ~ But if we confess our sins (agree with Him- Yes, Father, “I have sinned”) He is (always) faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from “all” unrighteousness. We must be clean and we must be covered.
For this cleansing and covering, a provision (an atoning Sacrifice) has been made for “whosoever will.” This privilege is for ‘both’ the Jew and for the Gentile. It is for the male and the female. This provision, this atonement is the blood of the Lamb, shed for every man on a hill called Mt. Calvary. We (all) come to God the Father through Jesus the Christ, our Advocate.
His instructions? Ask and you will receive. Do I need cleansing? Yes. Then ask. Do I need forgiveness? Yes. Then ask. Ask Him. Ask and you will receive. Do I need wisdom? Yes. Then ask. Do I need renewal? Yes. Then ask. Do I need refreshing? Yes. Then ask. Does someone, (anyone) need comfort? Yes? Then ask. And try not to be generic with prayer. Pray for specific needs. Someone has lost a job. They might be distraught and discouraged, we don’t know, but One does. O LORD, You (and You only) know what his or her needs are. This is why we pray “Your will be done,” because we are human and finite and this situation or circumstance or need is far beyond our pay grade. This is where “trust” enters the scene. We place our trust in the Sovereignty and grace of our LORD Jesus Christ, Him who is “full of grace and truth!” (May I?) O Hallelujah for the cross!
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I would like to recall an event, and often overlooked event that occurred during the crucifixion of the Christ. May it be a source of great comfort, of great encouragement and blessing to many:
~ the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to the bottom ~
Why? Because of the atonement of ADONAI, we now have amazing access! His words? Come unto Me. Enter in.
Here are the written words of Paul, (formerly known as Saul).
To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at (Colosse): Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have to all the saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and brings forth fruit, as it does also in you, since the day you heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: as you also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you might walk worthy of the LORD unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins: who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him. And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight: If you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which is the church: whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: whereunto I also labour, striving according to His working, which is working in me mightily.
Wow, Paul!, take a breath!
~ For it is God who is producing in you both the desire and the ability to do what pleases Him ~ (Philippians 2.13)
The prayer that is heard in Heaven, starts in Heaven, for He has said, “without Me,- you can do nothing!” (John 15.5)
“Someone lost a job”
Hmmm
At the moment, the statement above strikes my “funny bone”
But sometimes it does cross my mind, with prayer requests, what exactly am I supposed to pray for?
“God, I would really be grateful if you would find a job for me, my wife, or both of us, for that matter”
One thing I know for sure is that if God wanted me or my wife to have a job, then we would have jobs
That’s why for me Job is the most illuminating book in the Bible
You can virtually see all the most important points on one page from top to bottom
Just about everything you need to know about your job here on earth can be found in Job IMO
And IMO you really only need one prayer for most days
The Lord’s Prayer as it appears in Matthew
Our Father who art in heaven
hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day
our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil
Amen
Hi Skip,
I think it would be interesting to see some selections from over the years
Have a great trip!
Mike
Shalom Michael,
Have you heard this version in Hebrew?
Avinu by Andrew Hodkinson-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDmEC0b3_Ms
It is so beautiful, enjoy!
Have you heard this version in Hebrew?
Hi Ester,
No I had not heard it, but is indeed lovely
Thanks,
Mike
“This isn’t the end of the story, but it is a beginning.”
Skip is there a TW that continues your thoughts on “how to pray”? This was great.
Blessings and shalom on your trip. I will remember to pray for you even though I don’t know how :-).
Just what we needed! We went to a congregation for Shavuot (we are pretty new with Hebraic thought, just love learning) anyway, the person shared this verse and others about how we are “in the Spirit” when we pray in Tongues because we Don’t know what to pray…. They, Used so many verses that really don’t relate to tongues. Almost …like how can we with limited understanding “know” what to pray for! Well, like you stated, we don’t always “know, but we are to “pray” trust that He guides our prayers.
Anyway, we did not buy it! Then, on way home, I read this to my husband! Thx. We all have a growing relationship with Y’shua, we have been believers for years, and ye, we want to be filled, and pray in the Spirit, but don’t believe without tongues we can’t do that. Again, thx.
Do you have any more teaching on this subject?
“the prayer is not so much about what we want God to do as it is about becoming pliable and accepting His purposes.”
In light of the “unanswered prayers” we all most likely experience at some time or another, in light of the tragic loss of innocent lives in the OK tornadoes, we ask you Abba, to change our hearts toward you and one another. May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done here on the earth. Bring the Kingdom of Heaven to those who wait! And may those who patiently wait on you remain strong, faithful and encourage others to do the same,
Amein, Mary! Beautiful prayer that is so needed in these days.