Two Kinds of Prayer!
"Immediately the father of the child cried out and
said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
Mark 9: 24
Christians who attend liturgical church services, services
where prayers and creeds are written out and repeated each
Sunday—find security in the repetition of time-honored words.
Christians who attend non-liturgical services find comfort in the
opposite, praying and professing in a different, spontaneous
way each week.
Not only is there room for both in Christendom,
there is room for both in each Christian’s life.
Jesus taught His disciples a prayer to pray, word for word,
that has been repeated in church services for nearly
two
thousandyears (Matthew 6:9-13). The Bible is also filled
with instances of spontaneous prayers, prayers that
only
make sense in the moment.
Like the father who sought relief for his demonized son:
“Lord help my unbelief!” Prayers prayed by memory allow
us time to pray meditatively, thinking about God rather than
searching for words. Spontaneous prayers call up passion
and devotion and shameless dependence on the only One
who can help.
As you pray, include practiced prayers and pressured
prayers. And enjoy the blessings that come from each.
"Prayer does not change God,
but it changes him who prays."
Soren Kierkegaard
