I continue to reflect this week on hope-filled actions and my third one is about making space to be “lured towards God’s will” (Ann Morrissy). In other words: prayer.
Prayer is about connecting to that power beyond us, but it is so often misunderstood. We often approach prayer as if we are trying to persuade God to sort things out for us or to do something that we desperately want to see happen. Sometimes we treat prayer as if we believe we could change God’s mind if we only plead enough. Sadly, this kind of attitude towards prayer has led many to turn away from faith because they feel God has not listened and so believe God does not care.
But I think this is because we misunderstand prayer. Over the years I have journeyed from struggling with the idea that if I prayed enough God would sort things out to the idea I spoke of at the start, that of prayer as being lured towards God’s will. Another writer who has influenced me in this thinking is Richard Rohr (it is always worth reading his thoughts online) as he says that prayer does not change God, it changes us.
This way of approaching prayer is much more real, for when we see it in this way prayer becomes about us opening ourselves up to the changes that our world needs and then seeing what we need to do to be the answer to our prayers. It also gives the possibility of prayer being about ranting to God about how awful things are (because God can cope with all the ranting we have in us) and then through the ranting, we find a way of being and living beyond it, or even within it, that is hope-filled.
This also opens up the possibility of prayer as something that builds on and grows from our connection with all the other ranting and hopeful people in the world, who together can do many hope-filled actions.
Prayer is a hope-filled action. It is not the lazy option, for real prayer is about being open to the new and to the challenge of doing something in this world. Ann Morrissy says that “by listening well and listening long, alternative perspectives emerge that feed the imagination and challenge the dominant perspectives”. Wow. Just imagine. A world changed by prayer because of how it changes us.
This is something we need to make space for because we have to live in the world that is, but God is with us and making space to be lured towards God’s will is vital for living.
If you’ve never prayed before, or at least not for a long time, or if you do pray but wonder whether it is worth it, I suggest that you stop worrying about the words and simply sit still and ask God to be with you. When you’ve done that for a little while see what you want to say to God, which might be a rant, or more silence or just a few incoherent words, always remembering that God hears us better than we can pray. When you’ve done with the words, sit still again, and see if you can hear what God might be saying to you. Sometimes God says nothing and just sits with us in the stillness, but other times we can be surprised.
If you want to talk about this or anything else I’ve said, please do get in touch.
I’m away next week but will be back in September.
Rev Anne
