Have you ever heard the saying, "When all else fails, read the instructions"? Perhaps this applies to your prayer life. I know it applied to mine. You see, for 19 years I struggled to have good prayer times without giving real attention to the instructions. Without meaning to I proved during those years that I am an average
Christian with no special ability to pray. Perhaps this describes you, as well. I found out that I cannot create a
consistent and enjoyable prayer life by myself. It was a disheartening revelation. But it eventually led me to look at the instructions with a greater sense of dependence. And I found out that a good set of instructions will lift average Christians like us into a meaningful, soul-satisfying friendship with God.
It was to guide average folks into a meaningful prayer life that Jesus gave us the Lord's Prayer guide to prayer can be superior to the one Jesus gave. In fact I am quite sure you will never pray the same once you have considered the Lord's Prayer thoughtfully.
Pencil Crutches (for the praying impaired)
I would like to share with you a method for following the Lord's prayer that has helped me immensely. For me it has been what crutches are to a man with a weak leg. This method is not divinely inspired of course and it is likely that many will find a method that works best for them. But I am equally confident that many will discover their prayer transformed , and very quickly, by using pencil crutches.
Using pencil crutches simply refers to writing out your prayer in a journal. But before going further with that idea I have some suggestions that should prove helpful.
Be self-disciplined.
First, a healthy prayer life requires self-discipline. You simply cannot enjoy a relationship with God (or anyone else) without it. You must make up your mind that time with God is so valuable and important that you will not allow yourself to be distracted from that time.
Choose a time and place.
Your commitment to quality time with God will be far easier if you choose a place where you will normally pray and a time when you will normally do it. The place should be reasonably comfortable and away from distractions. And you should choose a time when your mind is alert and you will be least likely to be disturbed. For many people the early morning is best. For a mother of a young child naptime may be best. Some people do well late in the evening. Whatever time you choose, prepare to defend it. Don't answer the phone, avoid appointments by telling people you already have a prior
commitment, and shut your door if necessary.
Start
There will be times when you do not feel very inspired to begin your time with God. The secret to changing that feeling is to simply start your time with him. He is attractive enough to create the
inspiration as we draw near to Him. I often prime my mind by reading one of the Psalms. Try to enter into the worship and themes of the Psalm but don't get bogged down in
analyzing it. This is your prayer time, not your study time.
Take up your crutch.
Take up a pen (or pencil) and your journal and give your attention to the themes Jesus has taught you to pray. Write out " Our Father..." and then acknowledge to Him that he is your Father, and what that means to you. For example, it means He cares about you, and is aware of you, and wants what is best for you. Then write out "... in heaven" and thoughtfully write out your acknowledgement of his perfections and your esteem for them. For example you might acknowledge that He is perfect in wisdom and so you know that He can never do anything in your life that is less than perfectly wise. As you continue writing your prayers
under each heading of the Lord's Prayer bear in mind that you are not trying to create a work of art to be admired but simply to let your words flow out to God from your heart and mind.
Jesus would not have given us guidance on prayer unless we needed it. In other words there is a way to communicating with God that He prefers, a way which is best. A mature and whole relationship with God will not come to us naturally: it has to be learned. Pencil crutches will help you learn how to have deep and spiritual conversations with God by keeping you focused on the guidance of Jesus.
