I have been listening to John Piper all week… FYI… he is not someone you can listen to while working out or when doing chores around the house or while driving in a noisy jeep. It requires solitude, a bible, a notebook, a pen, prayer, and patients. Anyway, one of the things that has stuck with me is his comment about old, dead guys who wrote heavy theological works. He said something to the effect, when these guys wrestled with scripture text or spiritual concepts they worked it over and over and over and over and over. Chipping away at it like a multi faceted diamond. This is the reason their works are so deep and most often NOT quick reads. Many of them it is hard labor to see the angle of truth they are talking about.
This was a “wow” moment for me. It would do me benefit to spend more time wrestling through scripture and theological concepts, rather than blowing off as though I “got it”. John Piper, as well as my ministry partners at church, are teaching me the value of wrestling through things in prayer. I have never been much of a “formal” prayer. I talk to God all day long through various conversations. However, I think I need to incorporate a formal time praying through scripture and theological concepts. Perhaps where I pray the scriptures and I talk it out with God.
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Prayer is one of those ‘can’t nail down’ items, methinks. When I categorize prayer on the basis of what I am comfortable with, I believe I lose my concentration and purpose … which is worship and relationship.
When I choose to be distracted by the ‘mode’, the delivery, the vernacular, the repeating ‘just’ and ‘Lord’ or ‘Father’, I then find myself not actively participating in/with the one praying. For a long time, I would turn off my concentration when a prepackaged one kept reappearing … and wondering why people got stuck in the rut of prayer. A sorta … well … Do it this way kinda command. “this” is how to prayer … which is wrong.
Christians don’t know how to be silent. Can’t take a breath, and in the midst of that breath wait for HIS prompting as to the next thing to pray through. Bottom line on the ‘jibber jabber’ prayers? Stuck in a world of tongue and vocal chord frolics …
If I am reminded of the Holy Spirit interseding because I don’t know how to pray, then why am I upset with what is common in the Christian community? I still do get bothered by my attitude, because the jibber jabber prayers seem so surface oriented. But am getting better dealing with it. Reason? They are my bro’s and sis’s. Wrestle well …