Prayer is woven throughout the entirety of Scripture. We can often wrestle with the why and how of prayer, getting stuck in the theological quandaries. Yet there is a consistent invitation to pray, not because of promised results, but of relational necessity. If we follow Jesus, and want to know His heart, we pray.
Here are some qualities to reflect upon, and desire, as we spend time in the Lord’s Prayer.
Gratitude
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:4-7
As we grasp God’s relentless love for us, gratitude will naturally emerge. There are numerous studies showing the emotional and mental impact of practicing gratitude. How do we create space to reflect on the things we are thankful for? When we remember who Christ is and what He has done for us, and notice God’s presence and activity in our daily lives, God slowly turns our anxiety (merimnao: being pulled in opposite directions) into peace (eirene: sense of wholeness).
Dependence
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. – Romans 8:26
Sometimes we come to God speechless. We don’t have words to describe our grief, our questions, or our longing. We are invited to come regardless, dependent on the Holy Spirit to speak on our behalf. Sometimes prayer is sitting before God in silence, expecting nothing in return.
Persistence
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” – Luke 18:1-5
Jesus uses a parable to invite us to continue praying, especially for justice. What would it look like for us, as a community, to pray for God’s Kingdom to come within a broken world? Even when it feels like nothing is changing and our prayers feel unheard, how do we keep praying? There is a power in our prayers that we cannot comprehend, even when they seem unanswered.
Expectancy
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” – Luke 11:9-13
We are invited to pray with expectancy that a loving God will respond, giving us what we need. God hears us, knows us, and is committed to our greatest joys. But notice that what He gives is the Holy Spirit, which is His presence. Although we often want direct answers to our prayers, God promises that He will be with us. And He will be enough for us.