Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever, his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:1, 5 Prayer is worship. But what is worship? And why does God need our worship? I think novelist Marilynne Robinson summarized well what is at the heart of worship: “God … [Read more...] about Worshipping as Prayer

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Psalm 19:1-4 Those of us who have lived for years in places where the primary lights in … [Read more...] about Experiencing Awe as Prayer

But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple. Psalm 5:7 Sometimes when we open ourselves to God in prayer, we remember that we are in the presence of One who is mystery. We acknowledge with awe and wonder that all that God is—all of God’s love and goodness and beauty and power—is far beyond our capacity to know or comprehend. As … [Read more...] about Bowing as Prayer

 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3 Prayer reminds us that God is our Maker. That we belong to God. That God is our Shepherd and we are the sheep of God’s pasture. These are truths that prayer helps us to know as living truths. An important aspect of knowing that God is God, is knowing that we … [Read more...] about Knowing that God is God as Prayer

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part… Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain; faith, hope and love. … [Read more...] about Being Open to Mystery as Prayer

I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief. Mark 9:24 Sometimes prayer is saying “maybe” to God. It is saying “I want to believe you are a God of love, I want to believe you love me, I want to believe you are for me and not against me. Help me to believe these good things about you. Heal the fears I have about you.” We may be guarded and hesitant. Our false and frightening idol gods may … [Read more...] about Saying Maybe to the God of Love as Prayer

Yet my people have forgotten me;  they burn incense to worthless idols,  which made them stumble in their ways.   Jeremiah 18:15 We usually think of prayer as an act of saying “yes” to God. We think of it as saying “yes” to the existence of God and “yes” to a relationship with God. But too often the God that we are unknowingly saying “yes” to is a god who is made in the image of … [Read more...] about Saying No to False Gods as Prayer

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for the living God, When can I go and meet with God? Psalm 42: 1-2 We can go days, even weeks without food. But we cannot go very long without water. Water is a basic survival need. When any of us are deprived of water for a while, our body begins to ache. Our stomach hurts, our head throbs, our mouth … [Read more...] about Longing as Prayer

Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this?” Luke 1: 18 We may think of prayer as an act of faith. And so it is. But prayer can also be an honest expression of our uncertainty and doubt. We want to trust God. We want to have faith. But we have so many questions. So many things are unclear and uncertain. Where do we take our doubts if not to God? Where do we voice our … [Read more...] about Doubt as Prayer

How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. Habakkuk 1:2-3 These words of protest are not the words of a cynic. They are not the words of a scoffer. … [Read more...] about Protest as Prayer