Prayer in its Purest Form

My prayers usually begin with the typical one-liner we all are programmed to use: "Dear God.." "Dear Heavenly Father." etc. etc. By the time I think of something eloquent to begin this dramatic endeavor, I find a way to bark out all of the things that I am worried about or unable to understand. I continue with a plea so dramatic and strong that it brings tears to my eyes because I long for it so much, and then I remember that I forgot to praise him. So I praise him for something--usually using Bible school buzz words, then go back to my big request. I completely avoid the flying, jumping, and trumpetting elephant that I convince myself doesn't exist in the room: usually having to do with a sin issue or someone who I am refusing to forgive. I praise him a little more before I tie a nice little bow on top with an "In Jesus name, Amen, " and go about my day.

Meanwhile, I find myself anxious about the future.  I have a mind that is divided amongst my jumbled and wandering thoughts which include: unanswered questions about the future, insecurity about past decisions, and discontentment about my current circumstances.  Its a wonder that I am able to hold a conversation with my thumb, let alone other people.  Peace is almost a legend of a concept that is so far away its hard to believe it exists.

Interestingly enough, God uses various circumstances in my life to teach me one simple lesson.  My anxiety is a direct result of a flawed prayer life.  Over the past couple weeks, I have been challenged to alter the way I view prayer.  Though my prayers tend to be few and far between, I know that God wants us to have a continual dialogue with him (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

My community group at FCC has been going through Francis Chan's BASIC series.  The video series displays a typically confusing and artistically abstract silent film, which I am not cool enough to understand, underneath a 30-minute sermon about a given topic.  I enter my own listening world as I learn from the genius that is Francis Chan.  Ironically, last week the topic was prayer. Chan walked through the formula of prayer that all "good" Christians memorize in Sunday school.  But he gave a new challenge: do we actually pray the way God intended?  Do we actually have the same desires that God has for us or do we expect him to treat us as the genie treated Aladdin?

In his sermon on the subject of worry, Pastor Mark stated, "some people are prone to getting ulcers while some are prone to giving others ulcers."  As a verbal processor and seasoned worrier, I am prone to both.  So often I use God and my loved ones as my personal therapists, and I forget to be still and wait on His words to guide me.  I was a junior in high school when I made the commitment to follow Christ, no matter what, but I forget to listen for his guidance.  My heart is heavy (Prov 12:25), but I'm out of excuses because God has given me the easy formula for a worry-free life: intentional prayer (Phil. 4:5-17).  God wants us to present our requests to Him through prayer.

Pastor Mark presented a challenge: to list those things that cause anxiety, and instead of simply avoiding them--facing them in prayer. Not only are we to face them but we are to thank God for each and every anxiety.  God doesn't care how small or big they are, he wants us to bring all of the things that weigh us down to his feet so there's nothing else to steer focus away or make our steps heavy.  That is prayer in its purest form--no filters, no avoidance of reality, but true reverence, raw confession, and unending thanksgiving.  That is the formula for a worry-free life; that is the secret to making the legend of a "peace that passes all understanding" into a reality.