What is prayer?
Why do we pray?
How do we pray?
When do we pray?
Where do we pray?
A lot of times, like the picture, we image prayer as something with our eyes closed and head down, humbling ourselves to God. To the universe, or whoever you're thinking of. We might imagine that the person in prayer must be secluded in the dark confines of some place, right? We might imagine that it is just us speaking and hearing our own thoughts and mumblings and groans and moans. There's no right or wrong way to experience or engage in prayer. You see, it's its own act, testimony, call, dialogue, and well... prayer.
Why do we pray anyways? What's the point of speaking out loud or in your head like that anyways as your lips phantom words that you don't find yourself saying in a greater volume? What's its purpose? As long as I have been on the Earth, I have learned that prayer changes things: it relives pain, it changes your perspective, it can open your eyes, it can calm your heart, and even turn tears to rain. Maybe you can look into the science of it all, but talking about what hurts or talking about disappointment feels so much better than sitting in hurt and disappointment. You're knocking your head on why things turned out that way or why it didn't go that way and after you pray you are sometimes given revelation: oh, it didn't happen to me, it happened for me. I suppose that brings me to my next point: the timing of things.
When do you pray? You see, I pray before and after things. I pray when I wake up. I pray before I sleep. I pray as I write, clean, cook, and sing. There is no set time to pray. You can do that any time. How? I start with "Dear God," usually, but you can start with a hello. Just like anytime I did something wrong to a sibling, I start with apologies or gratitude (that I didn't get what was coming to me) and I ask Him what I can do for Him today. Sometimes I don't ask what I can do for Him, but like a spoiled kid I ask what He can do for me and can He fix the pain and hurt and that one relationship that had no business going south and my bank account. Wow. That made me laugh at myself. He knows better than I can even articulate so sometimes I just have to sit there and say, pray, "Lord whatever you're doing in this season, in this moment, don't do it without me." Sometimes I don't ask for change in the situation, but comfort. "God I know you're here, but I don't see you." One time, I felt so hurt all I could say was Jesus. I said Jesus until my jaw hurt and my tears stopped. I said Jesus until my knees began to ache because I had been kneeling so long on the floor. Every time He comes through. That is how, when, and why I pray. So where do I pray?
I pray on my knees. At work. In the car. On the plane. In a chair. At the dinner table. I call God into all I do and often. I tried to do so much on my own and people really are not meant to be that self-sufficient. I mean, even the disciples didn't follow Jesus alone forreal. They needed folk to leave behind to pursue their destiny. Paul needed Christians to kill before becoming the most iconic of them all. God is a business dealer in the upside down and crazy and inconvenient and not making sense, and he cashes checks and writes receipts everywhere for everyone for everything. So why can't prayer be the same?
So whether its the song, the tea, the grass in your toes, the sand in your hair, the jacket over your shoulders, the love on your mind, or the wind in your hair, it's all but a prayer for you.
All the Best,
CLG (Clarreese La'Nay Greene)
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