Like most Christians I know, I wish my prayers were better. I wish I prayed more and I wish I prayed better. But as I seek to pray more, I find myself struggling between two weaknesses. My prayer life seems to be an inadequate oscillation.
On the one hand, there are times when my heart truly is turned to God. Sometimes in adoration and worship, sometimes simply in desperate need. But the words I say seem so inadequate to express my heart or to speak to the infinite and glorious God. My inner disposition does not automatically lead to rich and fluent words. [My working assumption is that the gift of tongues is one way God provides to help people in such moments have something to vocalise, and so to pray in their spirits even though they are not praying with their minds (1 Corinthians 14:14).]
On the other hand, there are times when I say wonderfully rich and fluent words of prayer, but my heart is not truly engaged with God as I say them. Sometimes the beautiful words are prayers written by others, in liturgy and books like the Book of Common Prayer and Valley of Vision. Sometimes I can compose the words myself, especially if I am leading prayers in a service. But the problem is that wonderful God exalting words do not automatically mean that I am truly focused on and relying on him in my heart. That is true even if I use God-inspired Bible prayers. The words can become empty gongs (1 Corinthians 13:1).
The best prayer, it seems obvious, would bring together heart and words. A heart truly focused on God, truly delighting in his goodness, truly relying on his work. Words that express with precision and depth and beauty the glorious truth about God and our hearts desires before him.
So when I start with heartfelt prayer, I should seek words to say that would express my heart’s desire and God’s glory well (1 Corinthians 14:15). When I start with wonderful words, I should aim to stir my soul to match the direction and depth of my prayers.
But in this world, I suspect there will often be an element of inadequate oscillation. Heartfelt prayers with inadequate words. Glorious words with disengaged heart. It can seem like a targeting system from a sci fi film, with the aim to line up the two viewfinders. Both systems must align for the shot to get through, for our prayers to really be God honouring and heard and answered.
But of course, that is not how the Christian life actually works. We are not trying to pray well enough to get our prayers through God’s defences. Instead, we are caught up by God into his perfect life. So our imperfect words are caught up in to the prayers of Jesus, the Word of God. He intercedes for us (Hebrews 7:25) and our prayers with all their incoherence get completed and carried by him. And our wavering hearts are indwelt by the Spirit, who carries us to the Father with true love, interceding for us (Romans 8:26). The Father himself eagerly listens for our imperfect prayers, as parents do to a toddler’s early words. So I don’t need to get perfect at praying to be heard. But I am invited to grow in prayer as part of the privilege of being saved by Jesus, caught up into the life of God.
Jots and Scribbles 