Sunday Summary: What is the Point of Prayer?

You may have seen the movie "Talladega Nights," with Will Ferrell. Remember the prayer scene? Ricky Bobby prays to “baby Jesus” and gives thanks to God for Taco Bell and Powerade.

(Here's a video link, to refresh your memory: Talladega Nights: Prayer Scene)

There are many different ways to pray. But maybe you're wondering:

• "Is there a right way to pray?"
• "Does prayer actually do anything?"
• "Is God even listening?" 

Let's address that first question about the "right way." Scripture from Matthew 6:5-6 gives us some cues:

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

 Matthew goes on to say in verse 8:

"Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

Then, he presents us with the Lord's prayer, telling us "Pray like this." But does that mean the Lord's Prayer is the right way or the best way to pray? Here's an interesting article about the meaning and purpose of the Lord's Prayer: What Is the Purpose of the Lord's Prayer?. Basically, the author explains that it's not so much a prayer in and of itself, as it is a skeleton, which believers are to expand upon with their own words. It is not a substitute for your own prayers but a guide for them.

Next question, about whether prayers actually do anything. Keeping in mind that the theme for these discussions is 'Your Questions Answered Explored,' in his sermon, Cody presented a quote from Tom Wright, an Anglican bishop and a leading New Testament scholar.

An excerpt from his book, "New Testament Prayer for Everyone:"

"Prayer is one of life’s great mysteries. Most people pray at least sometimes; some people, in many very different religious traditions, pray a great deal. At its lowest, prayer is shouting into a void on the off chance there may be someone out there listening. At its highest, prayer merges into love, as the presence of God becomes so real that we pass beyond words and into a sense of his reality, generosity, delight and grace. For most Christians --- most of the time --- it takes place somewhere in between those two extremes. To be frank, for many people it is not just a mystery but a puzzle. They know they ought to do it, but they aren't quite sure how."

We may not understand the full impact of prayer, but there are probably times when all of us have used it. Maybe it's when we get bad news or are really struggling in life. Cody explained that, perhaps in those times, prayer is God's way of calling us back to him. We need the prayer more than God does in those dark moments. Will we always get what we ask for? Probably not. But then again, we don't see the 'big picture.' We don't know God's plan for our life. Perhaps sometimes unanswered prayers are blessings in disguise.

In the sermon, Cody said that there have been times when he has seen prayer have a deep and lasting impact --- in his own life, in his ministry, in the lives of others. He recalls these almost surreal moments of holiness and blessing and connectedness to God and the significance they have had in his journey. 

A great book on the topic is "Help Thanks Wow; Three Essential Prayers," by author Anne Lamott. In the book, she admits that for many years she recoiled at the idea of prayer. She believed people who prayed were “ignorant.” Prayer was no better than “voodoo.” But after years of searching, she became a Christian – and a pray-er.  In her book, "she defines prayer as "communication from the heart to that which surpasses understanding." She talks about having an attitude of gratitude and the joy that it can bring to life.

At the end of the day, prayer is about connecting with God. And honestly, you might have to do it more than once to get the full benefit. To address the final question from above, "Is God even listening?," Cody encouraged us on Sunday to take some quiet time, without distractions, to just be still and reflect... and to listen ourselves. Perhaps the answers will come.

Written by Kay Weiss, guest blogger

:: IN THE COMING WEEKS :: Your Questions Answered Explored
11.10 Why Should I Believe in Heaven & Hell?
11.17 Who really is God?
11.24 What's the Deal with Denominations?