Isaiah 9:1-4; 1 Cor. 1: 10-18; Matthew 4:12-23; Psalm 27
January 26, 2020
James Krahn
Prayer Homily
Today I would like to cover three things as I give the homily: a concept or image of how to understand or view prayer, some thoughts and vignettes on the scope of prayer and some connections to prayer, and a very brief transitional part at the end which includes questions about corporate prayer, prayer in larger or smaller groups, or prayer teams, in Grain of Wheat, which is something the pastoral team has been focusing on for the last several months.
“Prayer is the Breath of the Soul” As Esther and I have been driving around on our house call rounds the last few months we’ve seen a billboard at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church on Keewatin Street in the northwest part of the city that says these words: “Prayer is the Breath of the Soul.” I thought pretty much immediately that this was a good focal point for a homily/teaching on prayer. It turns out when you look it up, it’s been said by a number of people. To begin with, a woman named Ellen G. White, of African descent, living in the early 1800’s in Maine, who became a prophetess in the Seventh Day Adventist church, made this statement and went on to say [Prayer] “brings the heart into immediate contact with the Wellspring of Life.” Joan Chittister writes a book called ‘The Breath of the Soul: Reflections on Prayer;’ Orthodox Bishop Alexander has said the same thing, and Pope Benedict said “Prayer is the Breath of the Soul and life – it keeps us from being suffocated (great word in relation to breathing) by cares and concerns of daily existence.” We don’t have time to unpack what is the soul (within the statement at hand). Bruce Cockburn asked that in song on the ‘Nothing but a Burning Light’ album. I’ve read that the soul is the mind, the will and the emotions, let’s say a combination of those, and of course that makes it a lot easier, right? Anyway… on to the statement at hand. I said at one point years ago that prayer for me, growing up, was like breathing. Now I’ll put my doctor hat back on and look at some of the ways of breathing, and ask you to observe how these relate to ways of praying, how and why we pray.
First, there’s a kind of breathing without thinking, automatic breathing, run by the autonomic nervous system, and for most people, about 12-20 times per minute. It just goes on and on below concsiousness, regulated by a breathing center in our brainstem. Then there’s stertorous breathing (noisy, like in croup or a very congested respiratory system). There’s laboured breathing for various reasons like doing 10 flights of stairs when you are really not used to it. There is gasping for breath. And, have any of you heard of Kussmaul breathing? It’s a type of breathing that is evidence of quite a severely ill state of acidosis in the body, like having uncontrolled diabetic ketoacidosis or kidney failure where the body is desperately trying to get rid of acid by blowing off carbon dioxide by breathing deeply. Then there’s Cheyne-Stokes respirations or breathing, in which, usually after a stroke that has damaged the brainstem, the breathing pattern accelerates, deepens in volume and builds to a crescendo, then falls off in a similar pattern, pauses for quite awhile and one wonders will this person breath again, and then the pattern repeats. And finally, there’s deliberate deep breathing, maybe in a meditative setting, where one focuses on the breathing, deeply in through the nose, out through the mouth, often very effective for distraction and anxiety. Well, these are just 7 ways of breathing. How about ways of praying that might relate? There is penitential or confession prayer; intercessory prayer, asking on behalf of someone else; silent prayer; centering and contemplative prayer; thanking and gratitude prayers; prayers of adoration; and listening prayers. These are just 7 ways of praying. How do they compare and relate for you to ways of breathing?
Now I want to shift to sharing thoughts, words, vignettes and phrases which I have come across in the last 3 months that relate to prayer, connections to prayer and the scope of prayer. Note any of these which ring true for you or bring confirmation for you in your own musings and understanding of prayer. Also note any of these that surprise you about prayer.
‘Lord hear our prayer, and let our cry come unto Thee. The cry of the human soul is never unheard. It is never that God does not hear the cry, but that [we fail] to hear the response. Like parts of a machine [which interact] is the human cry and God response.) . . .the response was there in all eternity, awaiting the cry.’ ‘The hardest lesson, is that of waiting. I would have you know this, that from the moment you placed all in My Hands. . .I have taken the quickest way possible to work out your salvation, and to free you.’ ‘Joy is the messenger that bears our prayers. . .the Ear that hears all, knows every cry. But the prayer of real faith is the prayer of Joy. . .sure of a glad response.’(not take a number or the lineup is over there or the cheque is in the mail or Firefox is not responding or I have a bad feeling about this) ‘The calling of My Name does not really summon Me. I am beside you. But it removes as it were, the scales from your eyes, and you see Me. . .and a joyful sense of nearness.’ ‘That voiceless cry, that comes from anguished hearts, is heard above all the music of Heaven…the cry of that heart to Me, and the certainty that I have heard.’ ‘Pray for the seeing eye, to see the Beauty of My Character, of My Spirit…the Beauty of My Love in My dealings with you, in My actions…Know Me. Talk to Me. Let Me talk to you.’ ‘I want only the best for you and yours. How little those know Me who think I wish to thwart them.’ ‘Know it true that when two of My lovers meet I am the Third.’ ‘If two of you shall agree gathered together in My Name, I am present too, a self-invited guest and when I am there and one with you, voicing the same petition, making your demands Mine…then it follows the request is granted.’ ‘You can get away from others into the quiet of your own being, but from yourself, from the sense of your failure, your weakness, your sins and shortcomings, whither can you flee? To the Eternal God your refuge. Till in God’s Immensity you forget your smallness, meanness, limitations.’ ‘Draw nigh in the utter confidence that is the sublimest prayer. Draw nigh, not as a suppliant, but as a listener. (I make known to you My wishes).’ ‘The solution may never be shown you until you have left this flesh-life. “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.”’ ‘Pray to become great givers - of your prayers, your time, yourselves, your love, your thought.’ ‘Only friends who understand and love each other can wait silent in each other’s presence…it may be that I shall prove our friendship by asking you to wait in silence while I rest with you, assured of your Love and understanding.’ ‘You must not allow fear to enter. Talk to Me. Think of Me. Talk of Me. Love Me.’ ‘Speak to Me about everything. Listen to Me at all times. Feel My tender nearness, substituting at once some thought of Me for the fear.’ ‘Our Lord, Thou art here. Let us feel Thy nearness.’ ‘Do not need feeling too much…The feeling that I am with you may depend on any passing mood of yours – upon a change of circumstances, upon a mere trifle.’ ‘Work and prayer represent the two forces that will ensure your success.’ ‘You shall be taught, continue these prayers-times, even if them seem fruitless.’ ‘You must pray. The way will open. God cares. [God’s] plans unfold. Just love and wait. Love is the key. No door is too difficult for [Love] to open.’ ‘Silently comes the Kingdom. Listen quietly. Sometimes you may get no message. Meet thus all the same. You will absorb an atmosphere. Cultivate silence. “God speaks in silence.” A silence, a soft wind…by no voice or even word.’ ‘Life with Me is not immunity from difficulties, but peace in difficulties. Joy is the daughter [the offspring] of calm.’ ‘You will have the consciousness of My Presence when you hear no voice. Abide in that Presence.’ ‘You must say “Thank You” for everything, even seeming trials and worries. Joy is the whole being’s attitude of “Thank You” to Me.’ ‘Certainly you have to work, you have to pray, but upon Faith alone depends the answer to your prayers---your works. It is the envelope in which every request to Me should be placed…As you seek to do, you feel your helplessness. You then turn to Me. In knowing Me, your faith grows…all you need.’ ‘I wait, wait with a hungry longing to be called upon…I am already preparing the answer. Try and see a Mother preparing birthday or Christmas delights for her child, her Mother heart sings “Will she not love that?”…and anticipates the rapture of her child, her own heart full of the tenderest joy…a faint echo…of My preparation-joy.’ What rang true for you in these words, and what surprised you?
And now for transition to group prayer, prayer in teams, in large or small groups in Grain of Wheat. Is there a place and a call for more of this in Grain of Wheat, which is the subject of the upcoming Friday Night Conversation in 5 days on January 26th, coming up soon? The pastoral team has been raising some of these questions for probably about the last year. Is there a place for ‘therapeutic prayer’ or ‘interventionist prayer,’ for mind, heart, brain and belief-altering prayer.’ What about prayer that changes the mindset or that changes a set mind? Can something like this happen? What about ‘panoramic prayer,’ prayer which gives a wider view and a bigger picture, coming from the mind and heart and perspective of the Divine? And what of Listening Prayer, or the listening phase of prayer? These are some areas we can pick up in the ‘Conversation.’ Stay tuned, and come on and join the conversation this Friday.