We've all experienced it. We've all gathered around a table, or sat in church, or been someplace somewhere where someone is asked to lead in prayer.
Some of us cringe when that happens, including me.
As a pastor, I'm usually the one asked to pray at events- sports dinners, spontaneous gatherings, family events, Sunday mornings, etc. People have told me that they like my prayers because I keep them short.
I have no problems with long prayers, if they are actually prayers. However, there are two types of prayers that I would just love to see go away.
1) The sermon prayer. Prayers are supposed to be conversations with God. So, we are to speak to God as if we were actually speaking to Him. The sermon prayer, however, is not one that is likely addressed to God- it is actually addressed to the people in the room. You can easily spot a sermon prayer because of the liberal use of the words, "Lord, we know . . . ." The pastor or prayer leader usually says things like, "Lord, WE KNOW we should be praying more, and Lord WE KNOW that we haven't been nice to each other, and Lord WE KNOW that we aren't tithing like we should be, and Lord WE KNOW that we need to studying Your Word like You would want us to, and Lord WE KNOW yada yada yada."
Sometimes when I hear a sermon prayer, I wonder if God is sitting up in heaven scratching His head, wondering, "Why are you telling Me what you already know?" For any of you all that have been the victim of a sermon prayer, which is really an address to the people in the room and not Almighty God, my prayers are with you.
2) The speech prayer. This is a carefully-rehearsed, written-down, beautifully phrased speech that sounds more like a state of the union speech than a frank conversation with your Heavenly Father. It starts out with a list of God's titles, "Almighty God, Creator of the Universe, Sustainer of all that is and ever has been and ever will be, Lord of Hosts, Forgiver of our Sins, Savior of the Human Race," and so on and so forth.
Now, I have four children. I have never had one of them come up to me and say, "O gracious father of mine, who provideth me with all good things, who shelters me with a roof over my head, provides daily nourishment and sustenance, and who leads and guides this family so well, I beseech thee, can I go over to my friend's house?"
Prayer is simply a conversation with God. Don't make it more than that. We should give more thought to our prayers, and see what Scripture tells us. Scripture in Ecclesiastes tells us that "God is in heaven, and we are on earth, so let your words be few." God isn't impressed with multiple words and flowery language, nor does He need to know a recap of what you just preached. Just pray.
Just talk to Him.
Some of us cringe when that happens, including me.
As a pastor, I'm usually the one asked to pray at events- sports dinners, spontaneous gatherings, family events, Sunday mornings, etc. People have told me that they like my prayers because I keep them short.
I have no problems with long prayers, if they are actually prayers. However, there are two types of prayers that I would just love to see go away.
1) The sermon prayer. Prayers are supposed to be conversations with God. So, we are to speak to God as if we were actually speaking to Him. The sermon prayer, however, is not one that is likely addressed to God- it is actually addressed to the people in the room. You can easily spot a sermon prayer because of the liberal use of the words, "Lord, we know . . . ." The pastor or prayer leader usually says things like, "Lord, WE KNOW we should be praying more, and Lord WE KNOW that we haven't been nice to each other, and Lord WE KNOW that we aren't tithing like we should be, and Lord WE KNOW that we need to studying Your Word like You would want us to, and Lord WE KNOW yada yada yada."
Sometimes when I hear a sermon prayer, I wonder if God is sitting up in heaven scratching His head, wondering, "Why are you telling Me what you already know?" For any of you all that have been the victim of a sermon prayer, which is really an address to the people in the room and not Almighty God, my prayers are with you.
2) The speech prayer. This is a carefully-rehearsed, written-down, beautifully phrased speech that sounds more like a state of the union speech than a frank conversation with your Heavenly Father. It starts out with a list of God's titles, "Almighty God, Creator of the Universe, Sustainer of all that is and ever has been and ever will be, Lord of Hosts, Forgiver of our Sins, Savior of the Human Race," and so on and so forth.
Now, I have four children. I have never had one of them come up to me and say, "O gracious father of mine, who provideth me with all good things, who shelters me with a roof over my head, provides daily nourishment and sustenance, and who leads and guides this family so well, I beseech thee, can I go over to my friend's house?"
Prayer is simply a conversation with God. Don't make it more than that. We should give more thought to our prayers, and see what Scripture tells us. Scripture in Ecclesiastes tells us that "God is in heaven, and we are on earth, so let your words be few." God isn't impressed with multiple words and flowery language, nor does He need to know a recap of what you just preached. Just pray.
Just talk to Him.
