Prayer from the heart

Matthew 6 : 7 - 15

When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases....they think they will be heard because of their many words....your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Long ago, when I first became a Christian, I did not know the 'prayer jargon' that Christians use, and I was not comfortable praying with others. In time, I picked up the words and was soon able to utter the right words when praying with others. Sometimes, my heartfelt intent connected with the words but at other times, I was actually distracted by trying to find the right words. These days, I have quietened down. Somehow, the right words do not come easily, because I sense that all my requests and needs (and those I pray for) are better known by my Father than by myself. There are many pauses when I pray, pauses to hold myself or the person before our Father. I trust that the unspoken words are known by the Spirit who pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express. Yes, I do ask and petition in words, but often I am more conscious of the 'intent' for myself or the person I am praying for, than I am about the actual words used. And that 'intent' means holding them before the God who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. That prayerful intent often cannot be fully expressed in words because of the uniqueness and complexity of a person and his or her needs. I find it helpful to distill my prayer for my own needs into a short phrase that I can return to during the day, one that I can recall even while driving, while in the kitchen, a phrase that represents my heart's deep need for transformation ('Lord, grant me your peace' and 'Lord, help me to love' are recent phrases). I am also painfully aware of those times when I do not really pray...those times when I allow myself to be distracted by the words I use, when I am concerned with appearing eloquent before others.

This of course does not mean that those who have few words are more 'spiritual' than those who have many words. Jesus' caution was not about the outward expression per se. Just as his intention was not to forbid his disciples to engage in prayers that others will hear. His ultimate concern is that we do not just 'say our prayers' (and on top of that follow the pagan way of uttering many words or 'formulas') but that our prayers arise from within our hearts and are directed to our Father. All prayer is genuine conversation, one that grows out of our relationship with our Father. There are likely to be pauses, inability to fully express in words our needs, but above all, our prayer is a communication that draws us closer to our Father's heart.