Okay BBBs, here’s the test:

What does the Evangelical acronym A.C.T.S. stand for?  Please tell me you know! 

What about G.R.A.C.E.?  We’re really very excellent at coming up with handy little acronyms to explain the deep mysteries of God.  The problem is that they over-simplify things that no one totally understands anyway and therefore they make honest people feel dumb.  I can just see the Sunday school teacher whipping out a dry-erase marker and writing:

God’s
Riches
At
Christ’s
Expense

…and then acting as if that closed the issue.  It’s obvious what grace is.  We have an acronym.  You must be new. 

Have you figured out A.C.T.S. yet?  It has nothing to do with the book of Acts, but everything to do with a model for prayer.  I think prayer is a very elusive thing to many people.  Some people don’t know what to say or how to say it, (thus the A.C.T.S. model), while some people can’t shut up (uh…ya… that would be me). 

There’s also always the question of what level of familiarity to use with God…  like if you’re really close to Him (as you should be) then you can talk to Him like a friend.  BUT – if you’re talking to Him like a friend, then you’re trying to put yourself as an equal to Him and need to learn some respect.  There are those who address him as “Yo, J.C.!” and those who say, “Dear Sir.”  (No really, those are real examples from people I have known.)  I’m somewhere in between. 

I’m going to ask some questions that you and I, assuming we’re both Christians, know the “correct” answers to already.  But, hopefully, you and I both also know that doesn’t mean a thing. 

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How’s your prayer life?  How you you feel about prayer?  How do you feel while you pray?  How should you pray?  Does it work?  How do you know if it works?  What’s the purpose of prayer?  What do you say?  For how long?  Do you ever feel like no one’s listening?  Do you ramble on?  Does your mind wander?  Do you fall asleep praying?  Do you feel like it’s sometimes wonderful, but sometimes you’re just not… quite… getting it?

Me too.

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I’ve been trying a couple of things lately that have changed - maybe even enhanced - my prayer life a little.  

 

The first is simply not using words at all.  My dad once said to me that his most profound prayers don’t involve words at all.  I thought that was ridiculous and dismissed it out of my teen-aged head.  But, lately, I’ve remembered it and reconsidered.

Due to the fact that I’ve felt like I’m just regurgitating things He already knows, (e.g., “Please be with so and so as she goes through this very difficult divorce.  She is hurting so much right now…”), I’ve felt that there could be a more efficient way.  I’m not saying I stopped praying like that completely, but sometimes I feel like I spend more time “catching God up” to what’s going on than actually praying for the need.  I found it more powerful to simply picture the individual and figuratively lift her up.  God knows exactly what she needs - way better than I do – and He knows what I’m trying to say.  So, instead of letting words get in the way, I’m just allowing my spirit to intercede.  Well, all of that sounded weird so I’ll just leave it at that and hope you understand.

The second thing I’ve been trying relates to Paul’s admonition to ”pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  I’m just going to be open and honest about this; I have no idea how that’s possible.  I’ve heard many a teacher try to explain it away by saying that Paul didn’t mean it literally, but that it’s more about just being faithful in prayer.  But, that’s not what I see when I read the verse.  Paul literally says to never stop praying.  That is an astounding idea to me.  I’ve never grasped it and I’ve put relatively little effort into obeying the command. 

But have you ever heard of “breath prayers”?  I have before, and this awesome post reminded me of it.  The idea is an attempt to repeat fundamental truths throughout your day as a continuous prayer… so much so that it becomes as second-nature as breathing.  The post I referenced above goes deeper into it and gives examples along with other types of prayer as well.  But I really started thinking about what, if anything, my “breath prayer” could or should be.  What encompasses everything?  I finally figured it out.

~Yeshua, thank You.~ 

Really, in every situation, in every moment of every day, that encompasses everything.  And I’m trying to remember to pray it a lot.  I’m not very good at it; it’s not yet second-nature.  However, when I do remember, it really revolutionizes my outlook.  No matter what, I thank Him.  Isn’t that really the essence of prayer anyway? 

BTW: I’m totally not telling you what A.C.T.S. stands for.  What are you, new?  No wonder you don’t know how to pray!  Bonus points to you if you know WITHOUT GOOGLING IT!