Basic Beliefs: Lord, Teach Us To Pray - AFC 1997

My Soul Longs for God

Psalm 42:1­2, Romans 8:26­27, 1 John 4:10, Luke 22:42

For developing relationship with God, prayer is the conversation.

Restlessness

Materialism, consumerism, informationism - while they have a teasing draw, are leaving us unsatisfied, hungering for a more lively sense of God's presence, yearning for some minimal assurance that our lives count for something.

For many, this restlessness yields a spirituality that is a soupy mix of many philosophies with a focus on neat experiences, self-fulfillment, and enhancement of personal talent.

For Christians, spirituality is rooted in a tradition, measured against the Scriptures, and lived out in community. The sole purpose (and goal) of Christian spirituality is God. In Jesus' life of prayer and service and his death of sacrificial love, we find our model for the spiritual life.

God loved us first
For some mysterious reason that seems almost too good to be true, God desires a relationship with each of us even more than we desire a relationship with God. God reaches out to us. Our spirituality then is our response to God's initiative. It takes the form of a life of personal piety and mercy toward others. At the center of the spiritual life resides prayer, which is simply communication with God, the source and object of our love.

Why pray?

Prayer is the flow of our relationship with God

Need - stress, loneliness, pain, fear, direction, concern, wisdom
Love - thanksgiving, praise, quietly sitting in God's presence

Open expression of need is a part of a healthy, growing relationship. But if all our prayers are want and need lists, then our spiritual growth will remain stunted.

If people feel either a need for God or a love for God, it will not be necessary to persuade them to pray.

Be aware of God
Spirituality is not a separate compartment of existence, but the deepest level of every aspect of it. Watch for God to come to you through your areas of deepest feeling and thinking. Yet also, when looking for God, think small, think humble, think unexpected.

Spend regular time in simple reflection, looking for God, and then just respond, building a natural relationship one step at a time.

Prayer is your response to your awareness of God.