Creative Prayer

I recently read a book called Creative Prayer by Chris Tiegreen. If you read my blog you may have seen that name before. I have been using devotionals written by Chris Tiegreen over the past two years. His inspirational and convicting writing in his devotionals motivated me to pick up and read Creative Prayer.

The premise of the book is that many of us have an unbalanced relationship with God because we limit our prayer lives to words alone. In my journey to understand more of what it means to truly pray, to communicate intimately with the Creator of heaven and earth this book has made a significant impact in my thinking. As I look at my life I would have to say that my prayer life was pretty much confined to words prior to the new prayer space at Trinity Church. I have engaged in more creative forms of prayer in using that space, but I am not sure that I have fully engaged God beyond words. I know experientially that prayer through song is a powerful expression that can lead to an intimate encounter with God. That is one of the reasons I am such a big advocate for corporate worship based prayer, but what about other creative expressions in prayer?

In Creative Prayer Tiegreen points to the many examples in Scripture where people interact with God beyond simply using words. One of the examples of prayer that goes beyond words is found in Elisha’s interaction with the Shunammite Woman in 2 Kings 4:4-36. Tiegreen makes the argument that Elisha’s prayer was acted out in raising the woman’s son from the dead instead of merely spoken. He says, “It was a tangible prayer, a physical petition for God to repeat the miracle of first life.” So Elisha lay on the boy and breathed into him, the same way God hovered over Adam and breathed life into him.

Tiegreen says that creative prayer is prayer with our whole being – using all the gifts God has given us to express ourselves. The God who has given you the ability to dance, or sing, or draw, or paint, or act, or write, or any other gift God has given to you – is the God who desires for you to use that ability in your relationship with Him. This concept is one of those revolutionary concepts of prayer that I believe will take my prayer life to another level. I look forward to what God will teach me as I engage Him in creative prayer.

What do you do when it just doesn’t make sense?

A couple of weeks ago in our staff meeting we had a discussion about the sovereignty of God.  God is all-powerful (omnipotent), able to do all His holy will.  God’s sovereignty is His exercise of His power or rule over His creation.  In our discussion we talked about God’s ability to stop events from happening and alter events at His will.  When we come to life events that seemingly make no sense we can be left with questions about God’s activity or inactivity depending on our view. 

The most recent event that seemingly makes no sense is the shooting of the pastor from Maryville, IL.  Dr. Fred Winters, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Maryville was shot to death while delivering a sermon yesterday morning.  What a horrific event that leaves followers of Jesus around the world wondering why.

As a pastor I frequently come across events in people’s lives that seemingly make no sense.  In my own life, I experience events that simply make no sense.   The thing is when those events in my life are positive I am quick to praise God and I don’t seem to question God at all.  But when the events are negative in my eyes, then a stream of questions flows instead of a river of praise.

What is truly amazing about God is that He is able to work through evil.  We can observe throughout Scripture God working through the evil actions and hearts of people.  Joseph is one very clear example.  Joseph’s brothers were so jealous of him that they sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:28 ESV).  Through the evil actions and heart attitudes of Joseph’s brothers God’s plan was being worked out.  Joseph was sent ahead of his brothers to Egypt and was eventually able to say to them, “… God sent me before you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5 ESV).  Later in Genesis 50:20 Joseph gave his brothers these words of encouragement, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”  Another great example of God working through the evil hearts of people is God’s interaction with Pharaoh in Exodus chapters 4-14.

I want to encourage you to seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance on how you can pray for Dr. Winter’s family, First Baptist Church, Maryville, as well as the gunman and his family and friends.   And then pray for someone else that you know personally that is struggling with circumstances that seemingly make no sense.  Then take time to praise God that we can trust Him even when it appears that things don’t make sense.

What does it mean to pray?

Have you ever considered what it means to truly pray?  Does prayer actually convince God to do things that he was not planning or the means by which He carries out His plans?  Our understanding of prayer is important because it impacts how and how much we pray.  If we believe our prayers are not that important because God already has everything figured out, I believe the result will be to a life that never experiences the powerful and dynamic prayer life God desires every follower of Jesus to experience.  If we think that God is waiting to meet our every desire then we will end up praying what we want instead of what God wants.

In Exodus 32:14 we observe the Lord relent from disaster in response to the prayer of Moses for the people of Israel.  Moses prays and the Lord responds.  It is important that we see how God is looking to work through people to carry out His purpose if we want to truly join God in seeing His kingdom come and will be done. 

I have been reading a short little book on prayer by Watchman Nee titled, Let Us Pray.  In this book he writes, “… the first step in our doing God’s will is for us to utter His will in prayer.  … There is no work more important than prayer because the latter accomplishes as well as expresses the will of God.  Hence all prayer which comes our of self-will is useless.”  The problem the majority of Christians find in prayer is that they are never able to move beyond their wants and desires as the focus of their prayers. 

Watchman Nee continues, “…our prayer should never be asking the Lord to do what He has no desire to do or trying to change His will.  It is simply a praying out of His will, thus enabling Him to do what He desires to do.”  For whatever reason God has chosen to partner with praying people in carrying out His will on earth.  God is looking for people willing to join Him in carrying out His will.  Are you that kind of Christian?