Praying to a God Who is Present!

“If I hear one more person say, ‘I believe in the power of prayer’ I just might blow a gasket!”

Okay, before you hit the delete button let me explain why I once said this:

What does believing in the power of prayer really mean? When someone makes such a claim what are we to understand it to mean? Is it?

“God will give me what I ask for?”

“God will respond to my prayer in ways I want Him to respond?”

“God will heal my cancer upon request?”

“God will make my medical tests tomorrow show negative results.”

“God will fix my troubled marriage if I ask him?”

“God will cure my spouse’s alcoholism if I pray hard enough?”

“God will help me pay my bills it if I pray in faith.”

Most of the prayers I’ve said in church as a pastor and many I’ve heard others pray in church are really childlike prayers that are directed to a God who lives somewhere else in this expanding universe.

That’s right, I confess: I prayed for so long, even as a pastor, like God was somewhere else waiting on my requests.

This kind of praying no longer works for me anymore.

In fact I haven’t prayed this way in a good while. I pray of course, but not like a child asking Santa Clause to give me what I want (or even need).

You see I no longer believe in what is called a “Theistic” God, meaning that God is some Divine Being who resides separately outside of my earth experience and may or may not intervene in my life based on the sincerity or faithfulness of my prayers. 

It is time to put this image of God to bed.

God is not Santa Clause. He is not some fickle Deity who exists in some far off heaven listening to my prayers and making decisions on whether He should answer my prayers or not. 

This was the God of my childhood but as St. Paul so cleverly said: “When I became an adult I put an end to childish ways.”

Of course one’s understanding of God will determine how one prays for sure. So much prayer in churches today reflects a childlike understanding of God: A Being sitting behind a cosmic computer punching all the right keys based on our prayers and His decision on how to answer those prayers.

But when our image of God changes our method of praying changes as well. I no longer envision God up there (wherever “up there” is) but rather right here in our midst. “He is closer to us than we are to ourselves” as the old saying goes.

Paul was reported to have told the Athenians: “In him we move, and live, and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

Theologians today refer to this understanding of God as “panentheism.” Stick with me now, it only gets better.

Panentheism is a combination of three Geek words: pan-en-theism. Pan meaning everywhere or all around, en meaning in, and theism meaning God. A homemade definition of panentheism means this: 

God lives in the heart and soul of His creation. 

If this is true, and it is for me, then praying is an exercise that can take place even without words. Mature praying is letting go and letting God! Prayer is being connected to the Divine presence within your heart and soul. This connection does not need words to coexist.

Prayer is making that human/Divine connection as an act of trust. 

Prayer is more an act of trusting than it is talking to God. 

Yet for many talking is the only way they know how to pray. That’s okay because this is what we have been taught as children of the faith.

I don’t pray like I used to. I rarely use words. They are not needed. Often times they simply get in the way between God and me.

I’ve quit asking God for this and that. God is not a cosmic vending machine into which I place a coin (verbal prayer) and select what I want.

What is the power of prayer? Well, it certainly isn’t what many think it is and what I thought it was for such a long time.

Prayer receives its power in the dynamic between my life and the life of God within me. When the two connect my prayers are effective, transformative, and life giving. 

This is the power of prayer. This is the kind of praying I want in church. Adultlike praying that is grounded in radical trust. This is transformative praying rather than transactional praying. 

When you pray just be with God. Rest in Him. Trust Him. Connect with Him!