Happy New Year, everyone! Things have settled down a lot since December 25th, and I have something important to share with you that I've had on my mind for nearly two months. It is very timely too, since the topic is "prayer" and, starting tomorrow, January 3rd, Covenant Prayer Week begins. Let me know what you think...

PERVASIVE OR PERFUNCTORY PRAYER?


In November I was asked to take part in a class for orientation students who are meeting their requirements for Covenant ordination and credentialing. The class focused on the nature and mission of the Church, the state and health of the Church today, and the dynamics and realities the Church is facing in an increasingly pluralistic and secularized society. I was one of two pastors asked to speak about Veritas, a ministry of the Covenant to help in the revitalization of older, established churches in our denomination. The two of us shared how our churches, New LIfe Covenant (formerly First Covenant) San Jose in an urban environment and Hilmar Covenant in a small town setting, are trying to negotiate the new terrain/playing field of real, practical ministry today.

At one point in the class, the facilitator, Alan Forsman, said something that cut deep into my heart. After several hours of teaching, stories, and discussion, which revealed the incredible challenges facing the Church in the West today, Alan suggested that the crux of these problems and challenges is prayer--or more specifically, the LACK of prayer--in the life of churches and Christians today. He said something to the effect: “Are we practicing pervasive or perfunctory prayer today?” From all of his travels, interaction with dozens of churches, discussions with pastors, church staff, lay persons, councils, many experiences with how Christianity is expressed throughout the U.S. and Canada, Alan came to the conclusion that the dilemmas so many congregations find themselves in these days are the result of the lack of deep, vibrant, pervasive prayer.

Wow! And OUCH! As the impact of this settled into my being, it became very clear to me that Alan had hit the nail on the head, speaking profound veritas (truth) to all of us gathered in that fireside room of Mission Springs.

I think it especially resonated with me because one of the areas of ministry for which I am responsible here at Hilmar Covenant is prayer. Since returning from my sabbatical in 2006, I have been developing and deepening this essential, spiritual component of our church life. As I have sought ways to lift up prayer, teach about prayer, engage the congregation in prayer, open up the richness and reality of the power of prayer, and so forth, I have heard many comments, perspectives, responses, and interesting excuses regarding prayer. Bottom line: it has made me wonder about the importance--and pervasive place--of prayer in the life of our congregation as a whole.

I say this because of the numerous comments people have made to me when talking about prayer: “I can’t sit still,” “My mind continually wanders,” “I have a difficult time focusing,” “I can’t concentrate,” “It’s hard,” “It’s boring,” etc. and more. (Again, let me be clear: I said “our congregation as a whole!” Of course there are people in churches everywhere for whom prayer is pervasive, dynamic, central to their daily walk with the Lord, and a living reality in their lives.) When we have included extended times of silence during our worship services for personal prayer, confession, intercession, and meditation, there are always people who make it quite clear that the quiet time was too long and, by implication, an ineffective or not-very-meaningful part of the service. And when I ask people about the “Morning Prayer” offered by the pastor each week on behalf of the congregation, you should hear what they tell me is really going through their minds!


As I pondered Alan’s statement, I wondered: Do Christians in our churches today even know how to pray? I don’t say this as a criticism or judgment either, because I am a relative newcomer to discovering the incredible, alive, engaging, supernatural power and reality of prayer. But how many of us just settle for quick prayers, formal prayers, self-centered prayers, safety prayers, or prayers only spoken by someone else? How many of us only utilize prayer as a last resort, or as something we do at the end of our busy days when everything else we want and need to do is accomplished and, hopefully, we won’t fall asleep in the middle of doing!? This is “perfunctory” prayer, and if this, indeed, is the kind of prayer most Christians engage in today, or more tragically, is the only kind of prayer Christians know how to do, it is no wonder that congregations everywhere are struggling. It means that churches have no dynamic strength, no muscle, no kinetic force to address the pressures and realities that Christian faith is facing today.

Often in conversations about prayer, people counter with evidence that they do, indeed, practice pervasive prayer: “I talk to God when I’m driving,” “I listen to Christian music and praise God as I’m studying/exercising/cleaning house...” “I commune with God when I’m out in nature,” “I talk to God all day long,” “You don’t have to fold your hands, close your eyes and bow your head to pray,” “Prayer can happen anywhere, anytime,” “All of life is supposed to be prayer to God.” These are just a few examples I’ve heard that people believe are evidence of a strong prayer life. I confess that, in years past, I have also said similar things to support the idea that I was a praying man. There is an element of truth to these descriptions and definitions of what constitutes prayer too. Prayer is BIG! Multidimensional and multifaceted. Every one of these and other, wider perspectives of prayer can be embraced and should be developed and exercised.

But you know what? They are also a pile of excuses! Ways of getting around the essential ingredient of a relationship with the God of the universe: focused, uninterrupted, conscious time together with the Lord of All. Extended, heartfelt, pervasive prayer that has depth and weight and substance to it. This is a requirement for any meaningful relationship, for unless two individuals give specific, intentional time and attention to one another, the relationship will only be a thin, weak, gratuitous, tenuous one at best.

I like to compare our relationship to God with that of a husband and wife. Consider a couple who say they love each other, say “I do” to one another, and set out in life together. But what if they simply live in the same house, sleep in the same bed, eat dinner at the same table, drive around in the same car, think about the other person, perhaps, and occasionally send off a quick text or e-mail message, sometimes even sharing the same space with one another, but never end up being together? Never truly connecting, never giving themselves to one another with focused intentionality, never completely present for the other, never communicating, expressing emotion, responding to the other, helping and supporting one another in such a way that each can know the other in the profound, deeply intimate, indescribable way that only married couples experience together? It goes without saying that this kind of attitude and behavior in a marriage would provide nothing substantial for a rich, intimate relationship to develop.

This is why those other ideas I mentioned about prayer (while driving, being in nature, etc.) are really excuses--even hindrances--to settling down and giving total concentration to God, and God alone. At first glance, they appear to be pervasive, ongoing, quite pious and sincere, but they only slide along on the surface of life. They are only like the table of contents of a book. In reality, they are perfunctory prayer; prayer that accompanies us throughout the day, along with everything else we are doing and thinking and enjoying and getting stressed about. Those attitudes and practices of prayer do not descend to a deep, engaging connection with God in prayer that only comes with intentional, focused time and attention with our Lord. With Alan Forsman, I agree that it is this aspect, quality, and practice of prayer--pervasive prayer--that is so desperately needed in our churches today. It is also more difficult than ever to discover and do, because we are part of a society attuned to and plagued by constant activity, busy-ness, distractions, multitasking, and the like. Many of us who are followers of Christ no longer know that rich, deep place of profound intimacy with our Lord that takes time to nurture, strengthen, and discover.


So how can we who claim to love God, follow Jesus, and to be filled with the Holy Spirit once again mine the riches of pervasive prayer? What can inspire us, motivate us, open our eyes and hearts to something we seem to have lost touch with in so many churches today? (Ex: offer a program, activity, meal, or social opportunity and watch people turn out in droves--but “come to a prayer meeting” and see how many show up...) This kind of prayer is tough! It is arduous, time-consuming, not easily learned in a book or a workshop claiming “Five Steps to Pervasive Prayer.” It must be sought after, like that “pearl of great price” we read about in Scripture. It must be a “desire of the heart,” and practiced regularly, habitually, with the same commitment, passion, and desire for excellence that superb musicians, athletes, artists, writers, doctors, teachers, and others give to their area of expertise. Here are some things here at Hilmar Covenant that can help you exercise your “pervasive prayer” muscles:

•come to the prayer corner in the chapel after worship on Sundays, to receive prayer--or volunteer to be one who prays with those who come with their requests.

•utilize the prayer request cards to express your praises, needs, concerns, etc.

•ask for prayer and anointing from the team of people who offer this specialized aspect of prayer ministry (Bill & Carolyn Ahlem, Art DeRooy, and myself, as well as Pastor Bruce and Marvin).

•find a prayer partner--someone you know and trust who would be willing to dig deeper with you into prayer--and become part of the prayer team ministry.

•commit to practicing pervasive prayer in the coming year. Make it a priority. Give it as much time and attention as you give to TV, hobbies, recreation, sports, and eating! Make it a habit. (Habits don’t come easily, but repeat the same behavior over and over again and gradually a new habit will be formed.)

•begin to (gulp!) pray out loud--and then (panic!) offer to pray during Sunday worship in church! As with anything else that is hard and frightening in life, we only overcome it as we practice whatever is difficult and seemingly beyond what we think possible.


•most importantly, and before you can even put any of these suggestions into practice with energy, desire and intent, pray and ask that God would give you a desire for pervasive prayer. Ask the Lord to give you ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart attuned to what this kind of prayer is all about.

If this is what you earnestly seek, I pray that you will receive a similar epiphany that I had, back when the reality, power, and beauty of prayer finally came alive for me. Suddenly, my relationship with God took on new, more brilliant color and light and a freshness I hadn’t known before, compared to the more muted tones that seemed to characterize my faith before I awoke to the magnificent world of deep, rich, intimate pervasive prayer.


This week, January 3-9, is the annual “Covenant Week of Prayer.” I hope what I have written and suggested in this blog post will intrigue you, excite you, and challenge you to begin a new journey in your prayer life along with other Covenanters across the globe. Let me end with these words from the daily devotional on prayer that I continue to use, year after year. The author is Nick Harrison:

As we learn and put into practice the kind of prayer that God hears--magnificent prayer--I believe we’ll see answers to our prayers daily as we turn our hearts boldly toward God who is eager to hear from us---and anxious to answer. As Billy Graham has noted, heaven is full of answers to prayers that nobody has bothered to pray.

Church: let’s bother to pray. It’s time to return to persistent, pervasive, powerful praying.