The World Team Ministry Framework describes our commitment and calling to prayer this way:
“Prayer is real conversation with God and is vital to a growing relationship with Him and ministry in His name. Prayer reflects our belonging and submission to Him, our need for direction and provision, and our acknowledgement that we can do nothing without Him.
We believe that personal and corporate prayer manifest obedience and humility, submitting ourselves to God and His agenda, and for His power. Such dependence nurtures alertness to the spiritual dimensions of our undertakings and equips us with wisdom and knowledge for our calling. Above all, prayer changes things because it is God’s desire that we ask Him to work.”
We pray because God wants us to talk with Him. One of the catechisms of the Church puts it this way: “Question: What is prayer? Answer: Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of His mercies.”
What I like about both the statements above is that there is no sense of an ‘obligation’ to pray, as if it is a work that I must do in order to somehow bend God’s will to mine. Prayer flows from a heart that recognizes what God has already accomplished in opening the door to relationship with Him. Prayer is the simple acknowledgement that we need Him in light of all that He has done and continues to do for us.
It’s only natural then that throughout the day, our hearts would turn to Him: when we are working on a project; before we spend time in conversation with others; and when someone is leaving our apartment and we’re standing at the front door.
It’s not a duty. We’re ‘offering up our desires’ to Him, asking again (and again) that He would work for His glory.
Filed under: Guiding Principles, Prayer |
Thoughts Along The Journey 
I like the last sentence–offering up our desires so that He would get the glory. The offering has two senses for me–presenting my desires for another’s needs–to let God know of my desire for others to see and experience His glory and sacrificing my own agenda to Him (as well as sacrificing my desire to control, fret and live joylessly).
I liked the way you phrased that. Has a real gospel centred ring to it. And wouldn’t that also be the thrust of the Lord’s prayer? That we pray for others, laying down our own agenda and control.
Tis a shrewd title; indeed prayer does convey “guiding”. To obey the Galatian command to “walk by the Spirit” i desperately need communing prayer so that the Spirit is guiding my steps.
I think that is why I am often struck by those who offer to pray at different moments, seemingly as if it was the same as ‘breathing’. It should be such a natural reflex of our trust in His steadfast love for us.