Prayer

"Prayer is acknowledging that we are always in the presence of God."
--Desmond Tutu

"In the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed." --Mark 1:35

_____________

How might we describe what prayer is?
--Opening ourselves to God
--Taking time to talk with God
--Honest sharing with God
--A time for God to talk to us!
--A time for listening
--Confession
--Thanksgiving
--Intercession for others
--Relationship

Where?
--in church
--at home
--in school
--sports activities

When?
--Before bed.
--Before meals.
--Before important athletic events.
--Before tests.
--When we are grateful.
--When we are scared.
--When we need help.
--When we need to make the right choice.
--When we need strength or courage.
--When we need guidance and direction.
--When we are in trouble.
--When someone is sick or struggling, or something bad happens to them.
--When we need to confess.
--When we seek forgiveness.

For Whom?
--Ourselves
--a struggling friend or community member
--people around the world
--someone sick or dying
--people we love

In the first chapter of Mark's gospel (Mark 1:29-39), we hear the story of Jesus healing so many people in the town of Capernaum that it seems as though everyone has come to him; the needs are great. After an entire evening of caring for people, Jesus gets up early the next morning and goes out to a deserted place to pray. There he centers himself in God's will. In his weariness, he is renewed and gets a clear sense of God's will for his emerging minstry. When Peter and the other disciples find him and say," Everyone's looking for you, " Jesus tells them that it is time to go on to other towns to share the good news of God's love; that his mission is to share that good news with everyone, not just the people in one place, much as he loves them! It is the time in prayer, away from all of the demands, that helps Jesus to be clearer.

Later, Jesus teaches his disciples what we call "The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4)." Among its petitions:
(a) Jesus teaches us to pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." He is teaching us to pray for God's will rather than our own, in the hope that God's will be done in the midst of our lives here and now. In this sense, God helps us to be answers to our own prayers!
b) "Give us this day our daily bread," focuses us on God's daily provision, rather than long-term security.
(c) The words "our," "we," and "us" throughout the prayer remind us that we pray as a community, and that we are praying for God's blessing and encouragement for all.

What else do you notice in the Lord's Prayer? What would you add to our descriptions and reflections?