Risking Prayer
“Whether or not . . . you have ever dared to pray.” Mary Oliver, “Morning Poem.”
There’s no getting around it; prayer is risky, uncomfortable, scary. In prayer, we hope that we are reaching out in honesty and trust, hope that we are touching the infinite source of all that is good—God. But just as often we are hiding when we pray. The reach of sin—that instinctive desire to cling to control, to hide, to disconnect—touches even our prayers, leaving us feeling disconnected from the Spirit within, leaving our words feeling hollow and empty, not unlike the “vain repetitions” Jesus warned against (Matthew 6:7).
Recommended Course(s): Prayer Basics
Other resources you may be interested in:
Talking with the Father: Jesus Teaches on PrayerIn Talking with My Father, Ray Stedman looks at our deep need for prayer and the...
Praying with PersistenceJesus' teaching on persistent prayer shows how perseverance is both welcomed and rewarded by God....
The Power of Prayer: Pastor Sameh Maurice at Kasr El-Dobara Church, CairoLet’s visit the pastor of the largest congregation in the Middle East and hear his...