Prayer, like nearly anything else in life can be engaged in pedestrian fashion or by those who determine to apply prayer in its most profound meaning. Prayer has been seen as pedestrian in such words as, Oh God. The words may be casual and irreverent as those heard often in everyday conversation, even heard on television as either an oath or slang – perhaps a meaningless blurting out of some habitual phrase for casual persons. The devout man or woman may cringe at the sounds. The suffering, grieving devout person may be making the most serious prayer they ever made with the two words – in their identification with Jesus Christ. Persons using words related to deity, if not in meaningful respect for God, but using his imprimatur are swearing — an offense. Even if the speaker or writer is unaware of the meaning, the practice is irreverent. We are warned about the meaning of our speech and language. If God’s name is used, and the words are not meant to convey what the words indicate, we ought to learn that they are in vain. There are other words that are admissible to express anger, pain, distraction, or any other negative factor in our lives. We ought to be aware that pejorative, irreverent, meaningless, hate language to thoughtful communication about the matter at hand is more than humanly objectionable. God holds ideals related to language and thought, even purging some language for his communication. This becomes a serious matter for Christians related to the language of Scripture. Some believe God gave writers the very words.
Our concern here is rightful and effective prayer. God hears the simple prayer, and responds to it. He hears the child’s prayer and answers it in some way. Prayer meaning follows our progress up the mountain of our spiritual understanding to the ultimate meaning – prayer without ceasing. Jeremiah in Lamentations informs us there is no intermission. What does this mean? From the child’s simple prayer, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, to the maturity of Christian prayer life there is the discovery that prayer is at its best when it becomes a major context of our lives. To have gained the love of God so to be free to love all human beings, lovely and unlovely, the devout person enters a life of devotion that is interpreted as prayer without ceasing. It is an attitude, response, interest, preoccupation, identity, desire, cleansing, and relationship with all persons in one’s purview. It becomes a part of the nature of the devout individual. It prevails, accepting every circumstance and context for prayer identity and faith. It asks for nothing except to be heard by God for the benefit of human beings, the peace of nature, and the honor of God.
To be effective in prayer nature the individual must maintain obedience to God, love for others, striving for righteousness in thought and conduct, and committed to the will and plan of God. It transcends much of the value orientation related to general society that includes wealth, power, self-interest, success, influence, celebrity, and the like. Prayer finds its purity in the degree to which the person at prayer (words/thoughts communicated to God) and in prayer (attitude absorbed by God) has drawn upon the concern and compassion of God by the sacrifice of time, thanksgiving, faith, and selflessness with which the person means to accent the work of God and find the devotion of humility to gain the love of God for action to the needs expressed. The prayer is best when faith embraces the concept of the will and plan of God for every circumstance. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven: are the first words, oral or in thought, of the unceasing prayer person. In the history of the Bible Testaments there were persons named who were persons of unceasing prayer. Vast numbers of these devoted persons have served humbly through the centuries. We peek in on two of them, Anna and Simeon, in Luke’s Gospel 2:25-38. Persons of prayer are taken with a holy zeal that is nothing less than a gift from God. They function in faith that embraces the outcomes of pleasure or pain. They are marked with patience and humility, with devotion and an inner light that others who know them well detect as special, but, at the same time, anyone can claim a large or small portion of their gift for prayer. It is a true and serious sacrifice related to the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Of the factors that guide God this is one he observes in awarding to his children that which he reserves for them in their participation to achieve his plan for mankind. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020