Wednesday Word . . . The Prayer Boat
At this past Monday’s weekly prayer group, we were talking, of all things, about prayer. It was said, “Sometimes I think people view prayer only as an emergency lifeline that is used when things get tough.” They went on to say (and I’m paraphrasing here) that prayer should be the engine that drives everything and not simply the spare tire used when we’re in a crisis.
To which I responded with something like, “Prayer should be the boat we’re in to navigate the waters of life, not the rescue boat that comes to save us when we’re drowning.”
Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. At each service (7:00, Noon, and 6:00) I will invite the people to the observance of a holy Lent. Part of this observance includes “prayer, fasting, and self-denial.” As I’ve said before, whatever our Lenten disciplines, they should not be disciplines taken on for the simple sake of being miserable over the next 40 days. Lent is about making a lasting change that leads to a new life as represented in the new life Easter brings.
Thinking about this past Monday’s prayer group, prayer and our approach to prayer might be a good Lenten discipline. Asking yourself how and when you pray, and then giving an honest answer, could be a good place to reevaluate your prayer life. Do you pray on a regular basis? Is your primary time of prayer on Sunday morning? Do you primarily pray when there’s a crisis of some kind? When you pray, do you spend time listening? This is not an exhaustive list of questions, but you get the idea.
If you primarily view/use prayer as a rescue boat coming to save us in time of trouble, this Lent might be a good time to get into that boat and use it on a daily basis to help navigate the daily currents of life.
Blessings,
