Yancey on Prayer 2

Sorry to have taken such a long hiatus from reading and writing about Yancey's new book. Since it's snowing outside today I took some time to sit beside an open window in my office and read a little more about prayer. There are three things I'd like to share:

1. Of all the differences that separate us from God, perhaps the most significant when it comes to prayer is time. God exists outside the confines of time, a place we cannot go, much less fathom. I've often wondered how God hears every prayer offered up by the millions upon millions of Christians around the world who may be praying at precisely the same moment. How is that possible? Yancey addresses that question:

A God unbound by our rules of time has the ability to invest in every person on earth. God has, quite literally, all the time in the world for each one of us. The psalmist exclaimed that "a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by," and the reverse also applies: to God, one day is like a thousand years. The common question, "How can God listen to millions of prayer at once?" betrays an inability to think outside time. I cannot imagine a being who can hear billions of prayers in thousands of languages because I am stunted by my humanity. Trapped in time, I cannot conceive of infinity. The distance between God and humanity - a distance that no one can grasp - is, ironically, what allows the intimacy.

What a neat thought to think that God has "all the time in the world" to spend with each one of us because He is not bound by time. Not only that, but despite His endless wonder and power, He chooses to be intimate with us.

2. When I pray I often feel like I'm "summoning" God into my bedroom or office or car or wherever I might be at the time. Like a mystic or a psychic I work to get the attention of a supernatural being, to wake His Spirit, and invite Him to listen to what I have to say. But, as Yancey points out, God didn't leave when I last said 'Amen.' God has been, and continues to be, in my heart, by my side, surrounding me in nature. God is everywhere. As Yancey says, "...prayer means keeping company with God who is already present." Prayer is not like calling someone on the phone, it's like talking with someone in the seat beside you on a long journey.

3. Intimacy is something I lack in my prayers. Maybe it's because of my upbringing, but I've never felt totally comfortable using expressive language in my prayers. I almost feel as though I'm being irreverent when I pray things like, "God, you're so cool. I just love you so much." But here's what Yancey says about it:

In His own prayers [Jesus] used the word Abba, an informal word of address that Jews before Him had not used in prayer. A new way of praying was born, says the German scholar Joachim Jeremias: "Jesus talks to his father as naturally, as intimately and with the same sense of security as a child talks to his father."

When I think of God longing for my prayer to sound the way I long for Levi, and someday Titus, to talk to me, it changes my entire approach. There are two things I like to hear from Levi:

A. Expressions of love - the other night I was walking out of his room after tucking him in, reading a story and praying, and as I got to his door he said, "Hey Daddy." I turned and said, "Yeah, bud?" He said, "I love you." Oh man. My eyes well up just thinking about it. I honestly believe there are few things better than hearing your child say on their own, "I love you." What if I took time to pray just to tell God how much I love Him?

B. Insights into his worldview - It's amazing to see the wheels turning when Levi, and even now Titus to some degree, are trying to figure something out. I love hearing his take on why things are the way they are. It's like the Cheez-It commercial where the explains how they get all that cheese into a little er and the big cheese wheel comes rolling out of the truck and down the street. It makes me wonder if God would like to hear what we think of His creation - the physical, the emotional, the spiritual. I enjoy hearing it from Levi because it gives me a glimpse into his mind and heart. Perhaps sharing our take on things in creation will bring a smile to God's face as He listens to us explain why we think things are the way they are (even though He already knows).

I'm really enjoying this book. I highly recommend purchasing it or borrowing it from a friend if you get the chance.