Cross Training - The Inward Discipline of Prayer

I find it so amazing when times come up where I have to, or need to, talk about prayer.  I thought to myself just today, "if prayer were a weight room I wouldn't even have a Universal set in mine."  The opportunities that come my way when  I have to preach or teach on prayer I enjoy because I really like having to study about a discipline that I don't always quite understand. Richard Foster said this about Prayer - “Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us… The closer we come to the heartbeat of God the more we see our need and the more we desire to be conformed to Christ.”  

 I guess the question I have then is, what is it about prayer that transforms me?  Is it my initiative to pray?  Is it the amount of time I pray?  Is it the words I say?  Do I need to add an occasional "Thee" or "Verily, Verily" or "Whereforartthou?"  Maybe its my posture?  You can't beat a good posture when it comes to praying you know.  Think about it, there's the head bowed posture, the kneeling posture, the fall asleep in bed posture, the prostrate on the floor posture, and my personal favorite, the headache posture.  That's the one you use in the restaurant when you want to pray but not make it so obvious to everyone around you.

Better yet, maybe it's something so completely different then all of these.  Kyle Snodgrass said that “The believer’s entire life is one large prayer to God.”  Prayer is a lifestyle.  Prayer encompasses all of the disciplines as a means of intercession and communion with the God of grace.  As we practice the discipline of prayer, as we practice the discipline of worship, God's Word, Service, these all become an expression of prayer because not only are we communicating audibly in prayer but we are communicating prayer through action.  Donald Whitney tells us, “As we place ourselves in them [disciplines] to seek communion with Christ, His grace flows to us and we are changed.”

I think the discipline of prayer is misunderstood.  It's not about any form, ritual or practice.  It's simply about taking time to put aside our own agendas and putting a conversation between you and the God of transforming grace FIRST!  I love the freedom of prayer because the Lord allows me the freedom to question, to scream, to yell, to cry, to quietly listen, and unfortunately at times, to listen to His correction.   

Can't wait to hear from you!!