When I was in Seminary, I learned to pray. It is indeed a funny story. I had this daily calendar (today we have Palm Pilots). I would go in the chapel at school and time how long I:
1. Read the bible
2. Worshipped in song (quietly)
3. Prayed
I remember I would write like a 3, 2, 2 up in the corner of the day's page. This notation meant, I read the bible for 3 minutes, worshipped for 2 minutes and prayed for 2 minutes. My capacity for prayer was very slight. Many of us may be in this very beginning stage in our prayer learning curve, or we may have returned to this type of practice due to the business of life.
Learning a New Story
What happened to me was that I met some people who introduced me to the writings of Edwards and Whitfield. Also, I read a book by Martyn Lloyd-Jones called Revival that was very biographical. I saw the prayer life of people from history and my expectations changed. Also, I began going to prayer meetings with some of these new friends. Together, in community, I learned a new story of what it means to pray. In addition, I met a Korean seminary student. I would go over to his house and we would pray and worship together.
Before long, my expectation was, like Moses, "to go to the mountain and meet the LORD".
So far in this study on prayer, we have looked at the experience of "knowing God" in his grace and compassion and His sovereignty. This is the worship approach to prayer.
My desire in this series of posts is to lead the readers into a new expectation of "meeting God" in your daily life. My story changed a great deal from this 3, 2, 2 prayer life.
But I gotta go for now. Late for work.
Much more on this practical approach to prayer in the posts ahead.
God Bless,
brad
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