Even Simple People Can Pray!

So often as believers we make prayer a hypocritical, arrogant act. We desire so badly to be thought of as an excellent, theologically rich, well-versed prayer, that we turn into Pharisees! We are thought well of by men, and have no heart for the God we sound so passionate about.

I think we need to grow in the way we pray, but we need to go about it in humility, with a heart for God. This has been on my mind a lot because I know how prone my own heart is to having my pride stroked, and how quickly I can be satisfied so long as I have dotted every I and crossed every T. As we examine the prayers of the Bible and practice the discipline of prayer in our private lives, we must remember that all of God's children are called to this great privilege of communion with the triune God. Not just the intellectual elite. Thank God, because I would have no business praying of that were so. We must remember it is communion with God, we are actually pouring out our praise, our needs, our concersns to our creator and lover of our souls. But, like I said, somehow we turn it into "lookin good". People can pray awe-inspiring, theologically sound prayers and have lives (hearts) that do not match it. We are enamoured with these people despite that, and strive to emulate them; and in the process do much harm to ourselves and the church. Let me say, this is not always the case with a person who prays "well". But give me an old lady who simply loves Jesus, living a humble obedient life , who stumbles over her words, over the well spoken guy, who is arrogant, self-sufficient, and clumsy with his life.

One reason I love praying through the Psalm is that anyone can do it. The Psalms will bring you to praise, heart wrenching confessions, and words filled with need, in a very God oriented manner. And, even a child can do it!

Years ago after reading Don Whitney's book, Spiritual Disciplines, my prayer life was completely and forever changed! This is where I was first introduced to the idea of praying through the Psalms. (Thanks to my husband who introduced me to the book)

I know many others who have been so effected through his book and his conferences, as he taught how to pray through the Psalms. We pray about the same things we always do, but in different ways, and in God centered ways, as we pick up the Bible and use His word to guide us.

I would encourage anybody who says they want to learn to pray better, to answer why and then in humilty go to the Psalms. And, let us remember, prayer is not just for career pastors, and Theologians, it's for the rest of us, too!

Here is one of my favorite Psalms to pray through. This Psalm starts out asking God to hear, and in His faithfulness and righteousness answer; and immediately my soul is excited and confident that He will do just that. Not only does this Psalm give me words to pour out to my Lord, but helps me to meditate- to muse on God's works. Often through praying and meditating on this particular Psalm I am more prone to look in faith and see that He is at work all around me.

Psalm 143
¹Hear my prayer, O LORD,
Give ear to my supplications!
Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness!
²And do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight no man living is righteous.
³For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.
⁴Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;
My heart is appalled within me.
⁵I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your doings;
I muse on the work of Your hands.
⁶I stretch out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You, as a parched land. Selah.
⁷Answer me quickly, O LORD, my spirit fails;
Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like those who go down to the pit.
⁸Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning;
For I trust in You;
Teach me the way in which I should walk;
For to You I lift up my soul.
⁹Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies;
I take refuge in You.
¹⁰Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
¹¹For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me
In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
¹²And in Your lovingkindness, cut off my enemies
And destroy all those who afflict my soul,
For I am Your servant.