It's OK to ask in prayer.

Ever hear someone downplay making requests in prayer because communion with God in prayer is enough? (A few contemporary worship songs come to mind.) Here's an interesting perspective, seasoned with humor, from an interview with Paul Miller, author of A Praying Life (NavPress), in By Faith (Q1:13). By Faith is a periodical from the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).

The lingering influence of pietism in the evangelical church has tended to separate [asking and abiding.] Abiding has been seen as this almost mystical state that seems to hit really spiritual people. A good example of pietism is this quote from Augustine: "Ask nothing of God, but God Himself."

What's good about this? Augustine is putting God first. God Himself -- His love, His presence -- is His best gift to us.

What's bad about this? Augustine is disconnected from how love, God, and life work. Let me explain. Imagine a marriage where the husband really loves his wife. He is his wife's best earthly gift. I'm not being cynical. I really do see that in many strong marriage. Now imagine if the husband told his wife, "Honey, I don't want you to ask me for anything, because I'm your best gift." When I say this at our seminars, everyone laughs. They laugh because it is so disconnected from life. You can't separate being (the husband is his wife's best gift) from doing (what he does for her). That is, he shows his love to his wife by the many things he does for her -- how he listens, how he follows through, how he leads her.

Augustine's Neoplatonism tends to feed that separation from reality. In the Old Testament, God is not known abstractly; He is known through His mighty deeds, what He does -- like a good husband. Part of what we are doing is helping the church shed the abstractions of the Greek mind, returning the church to its holistic, Jewish roots.

Prayer Cards

This is a suggestion for how to pray for people from an interview with Paul Miller, author of A Praying Life (NavPress), in By Faith (Q1:13). By Faith is a periodical from the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).

Miller has a card for each member of his family (wife, children, grandchildren). He writes a Scripture on the card and prays that Scripture for each person or need. He says,

It works so much better than a list because you are able to track the stories that God weaves. It makes praying richer because you are praying for a whole life  in a thoughtful way. So you think and pray. You think about what you want God to do in another person's life.

 To me, it sounds like a list on a different type of paper, but I've yet to try it. It does sound like it would focus prayer more than a list would.

Prayer as Desperation Quote

From an interview with Paul Miller, author of A Praying Life (NavPress), in By Faith (Q1:13). By Faith is a periodical from the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).

In the gospel, because of Jesus' death for us, we are accepted by grace. The only thing we bring to the table is our helplessness. In fact, if we try to bring our goodness, the gospel doesn't work. Prayer works the same way. Jesus tells us to come helpless, "weary and heavy laden." So prayer isn't a discipline but learned desperation. It's not so much a mountain to climb as a valley to fall into. That's something I can do.

Prayer & the Will to Live

A friend's daughter has been blogging about her first year of service as a nurse at a mission hospital in Africa. Her November 1 post tells the story of a patient who wanted to die after being diagnosed with HIV. Read the story of how the African nursing students at the hospital prayed for her and what happened.

Dear Mr. President,

For a look outside presidential bubble, Obama reads 10 personal letters each day. (The Washington Post).

This is a long article but the process described in it can be easily condensed to show a contrast between how hard it is to get through to the President of the U.S. compared to the access believers have to God in prayer.

Hebrews 4:16.