Surround It with Prayer

Today’s message was written by Guest Pastor, Rev. Andy Odom.

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)

Over the last three days I talked about three spiritual disciplines I try to practice when I start to get anxious about something: get clear, keep calm, and stay connected. They are good practices that are simple and easy to understand, but they are missing something. The thing they are missing is prayer. Prayer is the thing that makes a spiritual practice, well, spiritual. So, in all that you do, surround it with prayer.

• When you are trying to get clear about who you are as a child of God and where Christ wants you to be, include prayer in the practice.
• When you are trying to keep calm, do it with prayer.
• When you are trying to stay connected, pray specifically about how best to do that.

One of my favorite quotes about prayer is from Soren Kierkegaard. He says, “The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.” People often misunderstand that quote to mean that prayer doesn’t influence God. I believe it does. After all, God is in relationship with us, and part of the nature of relationship is the willingness to be influenced by it. There are many examples in scripture where God is influenced by prayer. But, in all of those examples, the nature of the one who prays is also changed. In short, through prayer, God changes us.

When you are trying to get clear, keep calm, or stay connected, surround it with prayer, and be ready to be changed. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, prayer is the thing that helps us get clear. Prayer is the thing that helps keep us calm because prayer is what connects us with you. It is the gift you give us that slowly changes us. Thank you for that gift. May it change us today, in Jesus Christ. Amen.