The back cover of a new book on prayer caught my eye. The question is asked, “Does Prayer Work?” The more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable it made me. “Does prayer work?” The question seems problematic on several fronts.
First, it seems to reduce praying to an exercise for which there is an objective measurement, as if we can assign a scholastic grading scale to our praying: This prayer gets a “C”…but this one gets an “A”–presumably because we got exactly what we asked for.
Second, asking if prayer “works” implies that prayer itself possesses power. But the power to help or heal or rescue is not in the spiritual discipline of prayer, but the One to whom we pray.
Finally, asking “Does prayer work?” aborts the relational aspect of communion with the Almighty and jumps right to the self-centered implied inquiry: “Does talking to the Divine Genie really get me the stuff I want?” Don’t get me wrong—it’s biblical to ask God for help.
But God wants our friendship first and most. And that should be the basis of our praying.
Asking “Does prayer work?” is like asking “Does your friendship work?” Of course it works. Friendships are good. And a friendship with God? Well that's the ultimate.
The fact that you and I might benefit from that relationship in some way is—and must be—secondary.
God wants to be friends…to spend time together. Not in the chummy way we pal around with our best buddies. He is the Almighty, let’s not forget. But still, it's a relationship—a friendship of a sort.
How different this is than the please-gimme-grocery-list kind of praying that so many of us are accustomed to.
The crass reduction of prayer to a list of stuff I want….and heading straight for that list without just enjoying time together….this is not really prayer.
Me? I'm trying to learn all of this. Haven't mastered it, mind you.
But I'm just beginning to learn…
So…what about you?