The life of discipleship: The spiritual habit of prayer

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Matthew 7:1–11

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. . . . Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? . . . Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. . . . Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. . . .

Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? . . . how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

If we dig down to the foundation of discipleship, or the life of following Jesus, we will find three things necessary for any person to grow spiritually.

The first is the action of the Holy Spirit. This may seem obvious but must be noted. One of the best passages describing the activity of the Holy Spirit in the believer is Romans 8. The Holy Spirit is God at work in us, and without the movement of the Holy Spirit, we will not grow.

Second are the ordinary circumstances of life. God grows us through everyday experiences. Romans 5:1–5 and James 1:2–4 remind us that what we consider “tests,” God sees as growth opportunities for us. While mountaintop spiritual experiences are part of what God uses to shape us, he routinely works through our everyday lives. Spiritual growth “happens” while we are living life.

The third element of spiritual growth consists of what we do. We partner with God in our own spiritual growth through spiritual disciplines, or spiritual exercises. A spiritual discipline is something we practice that opens our life to God – so that God can do through us what he wants to do. Spiritual disciplines create a space in our life for God to act.

In previous articles in this series, I’ve pointed out several spiritual disciplines and suggested some ways in which they might be practiced. But one of the most important partnerships we have with God, and one of the most important disciplines to learn, is prayer.

Prayer was obviously an important part of Jesus’ life. In light of that, it’s surprising how little he tells us about how to pray. He gives a brief summary of the things to include, as in the Lord’s Prayer. He gives us some pictures of the way God answers, as in Matthew 7, Luke 11, and Luke 18. But beyond that, he gives little instruction about prayer.

Yet it is clear that prayer moves the hand of God. For that to happen, however, the habit of prayer must be developed. That takes discipline. So many people practice the “dive-bomb” method of prayer, where they swoop in, drop their requests in God’s lap, and roar out. Others move prayer to such lofty heights that it involves no requests at all. Still others see prayer as an attitude adjustment, as something that may not affect God but will surely change me.

Working together

But if we think of life in the kingdom as really doing things together with God, then prayer is a natural part of our work together. In prayer, we enter into partnership with God in the working out of his will. “Your will be done,” we pray, and while we may not impact how God’s will is done in heaven, we are certainly involved with it on earth.

Matthew 7:1–11 is a short treatise on prayer. Jesus is teaching here about personal, human relationships. We should not judge others, so we will not be judged by them. We should not point out others’ faults until we have taken a good look at our own. We should not give precious things to people who are not ready or equipped to receive them.

Then, in verse 7, Jesus states a cosmic principle of human relationships: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

This verse points out the power of request. In any personal relationship, the power of request is huge. If you are my friend, and if I ask, seek, or knock for something, you, as my friend, will do whatever is in your power to grant my request. That is the nature of a personal universe. In fact, Jesus says, the response of one person to another when there is a personal request is almost automatic: it will be given, you will find, the door will be opened. This is simply how people treat each other when they have a personal connection.

Now, if God is personal, at least as personal as people, would God not also respond to personal requests this way? Indeed God would, as Jesus points out in verses 9–11. You wouldn’t give your child a stone for bread, he says, nor a snake if a sardine was wanted. If you would do only good for someone with whom you have a relationship, “how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

Asking, seeking, knocking is the heart of prayer. You and I can know that if we ask God, seek God, and knock on God’s door, we will receive an answer. In fact, we will affect the actions of God by our prayers. We need to believe that there are many things in the course of our lives that God has not yet settled, and that our prayers will impact those things.

This is where prayer becomes a discipline. We cannot move the hand of God by dive-bomb praying. Prayer comes out of a personal relationship, and all relationships are developed by spending time together, by being in each other’s presence. If we don’t take time to know God, prayer will become boring, routine, and empty. That is why prayer is connected to other disciplines that we’ve mentioned: solitude and worship.

Learning to pray

May I suggest a way to learn the practice of prayer?

Begin with the Lord’s Prayer, Matthew 6:9–13. Pray this prayer slowly, reflectively, one phrase at a time, pausing to consider what it means both cosmically and in your own life.

For example, “Our Father.” If God is Father, what does that mean? What does a father do? If there were a perfect father, what would he be like? (Even if you have had a bad father, you can imagine who a good one might be.)

After a few moments, go on to “in heaven.” Ponder the reality that heaven is not only “up there,” but around us. God’s presence is more real than the person sitting next to you or driving in the car beside you. Feel God’s presence.

Then, “hallowed be your name.” One could spend a long time lingering on the ways in which we might honour the name of our holy God.

And so with the rest of the prayer. As you take each phrase, turning it over slowly in your mind, pausing to listen as the Spirit prompts you to praise God or to seek forgiveness for a sin, you will find that time passes without you even being conscious of it. As you grow in this habit, you need not use the exact words of the Lord’s Prayer, for you will find other words to express your heart.

The discipline of prayer is at the heart of discipleship. I invite you into the adventure of relationship, the adventure of asking and receiving.

Next issue: changing our world by being disciples

For reflection

• Do any of the following describe the way I usually pray: dive-bombing, lofty heights with no requests, entering into a partnership?
• Have I ever felt a sense of frustration in prayer? How has God answered my requests?
• I take the time right now to pray and reflect on the Lord’s Prayer.

Jim Holm is president of Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Cal.