The Prayers That Shape Me
Sermons, books, podcasts, and articles aren’t the only works from others that shape me—prayers can, too.
Do you ever zone out in prayers—especially those lengthy ones? Or maybe you’re a mom and no longer close your eyes during prayers because someone might run across the stage to bang on the drums (true story), so concentrating on the words being said takes a lot more effort than it once did. But I’m learning that sermons, books, podcasts, and articles aren’t the only works from others that shape me—prayers can, too. Not just in how God answers them, but in the very words the person prays.
In our church, various church members, ones whose faces seem to shine like Moses’ for their time spent with God, are invited to the stage to pray for the service and community. I’ve begun to lean a bit further ahead when they do, straining my ears just a bit more, to make sure I hear their words. Their words aren’t prayers they’ve found on the internet or in books, but ones from their days with Jesus. Their faith becomes audible as they speak, and it feels as if I’ve snuck into their prayer closet unaware. These believers pray as if no one is watching but God himself—the language is never flowery, but it comes as one speaking to a beloved friend and Savior, One who has gone before them in suffering and joy.
These prayers shape me. The Spirit prods my heart and my habit of prayerlessness, reminding me that such prayers don’t come from hours of preparation for Sunday but from the daily, rugged habit of prayer. I’m reminded that my prayers don’t need to sound robotic or repeat the same Christianese every other prayer spills out as if those words were some secret code to God’s heart. Rather, I can talk to God the same way I confess my sins to a friend or weep to my pastor and his wife on the phone.
The other prayers that shape me are the ones from believers who place a hand on me the moment I whisper my prayer request and bow their heads to pray right then. Again, the Spirit prods me at how naturally this comes from them; he convicts me of all the times I’ve said, “I’ll be praying for you,” and completely forgot by the time I got home or closed my phone. My friend at church who after hearing of our struggles placed her hands on us as people filed out of the church and prayed for healing. My other friend whose voice broke over the phone as I sobbed and she stopped to pray for me then.
I can’t forget the prayers of little children. Before I had my own children, I spent a lot of time with another family helping with their little ones. The mother texted me one evening, “You made it in my three-year-old’s prayers tonight.” The little girl prayed each night by listing off those closest to her, and that night “Lar-la” made it on her list. My own five-year-old son regularly reminds us to pray for my parents’ salvation.
One that will always stay with me I heard when I was in elementary school at my parents’ dining room table. A friend and family member who happened to be a believer had joined us for lunch. Knowing this lady prayed before every meal, my mom asked her to say grace. She smiled and bowed her head. “Dear Jesus, we thank you for providing this meal for us, and I thank you for the hands that have prepared it. And—God, I know you are calling me to boldness. Help me be bold. I pray for the salvation of everyone in this house today.”
May I be so brave and honest before God and those listening too.
This really touched me. Thank you.
I love the prayer for boldness, so powerful!