Dear members, friends, and visitors of PLC: Does prayer have to be so difficult? Do you ever feel that you let the Good Lord down? Do you feel guilty about “falling short of the glory of God?” Maybe your efforts at) prayer life even leaves you feeling guilty. You might say to yourself, “I know I should pray but I just can’t seem to find time.” Or, “I want to pray but I’m not good with words.” We hear would-be biblical encouragement of “pray without ceasing” (a translation of 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18). So, some Christians indeed work ferociously at prayer, you know the type, hands clenched. Eyes scrunched, why, they even pray when others aren’t looking! Would you be surprised if I said: “You don’t have to pray, you simply get to pray?” There, a huge burden is lifted, right? What a joy you now perceive: Prayer is not a must, but a gift; not duty, but opportunity; not law, but grace. Martin Luther suggested that we pray as if everything depends on God but work as if everything depends on us. Ever fall asleep at night in the middle of praying? Ever say you’ll pray for someone, then forget? Or forget whom you promised? That’s okay, relax. God already knows out shortcomings, sees our hearts and fills in the gaps. I find tremendous comfort from the Bible verse in Romans 8:26 which reads: “We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Holy Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” This Bible verse bails me out a million times. How cool, the Spirit is for us, shoring us up, removing roadblocks in prayer, Thanks Holy Spirit-I shudder to think where I would be without you! ROADBLOCKS I have heard others say, “God lets me down in prayer.” I think people who say this mean that God should answer their prayer quickly. Others far wiser than me try to remind us that, “God may come when we think God should, but God always comes on time.” Is this one way to understand the Bible verses in James 1:2-4? A translation called The Message Bible reads: “You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open, and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature.” I read in the April 2009 issue of The Lutheran magazine (p. 19) that a man credits the movie Caddyshack with an “aha moment” for his prayer life. In the film, the actor Chevy Chase advises a caddy on hitting the ball: “there is a force in the universe that makes things happen…and all you have to do is get in touch with it. Stop thinking… let things happen… and be the ball.” So in praying, an article writer says, “Be the prayer.” Here is a great play on words. In the mix, the subject becomes the object, the one who prays becomes the prayer. Don’t know how to “be the prayer?” Simply get out of the way and ask God’s Spirit – the Spirit of Jesus sent us – to lead you. HELLO, BETTER PRAYER LIFE Is it safe to say that all of us have picked up attitudes on prayer that affect us today? It would be good to examine them, and let go of those that don’t move us into more conversations with God. Prayer teachers advise us to let go of unhelpful attitudes. And say hello to a refreshed realtionship with the God who beloved we are. There is a smorgasbord of prayer: reflective, meditative types such as centering prayer and spontaneous. There are brief prayers, one called “breath prayer,” while for groups it can be called “popcorn prayers.” There are a variety of prayer postures: hands folded or open, standing or kneeling, head bowed or raised to heaven, arms extended wide open or clasped in front, eyes open or eyes closed, etc. Don’t worry about what others are doing. Do what works for you. Given our busy, often chaotic lives, we find it tough to schedule prayer time = or to concentrate once we do pray. I end this article with words shared by readers in an article written by Sonia C, Solomonson, a managing editor of The Lutheran magazine (April 2009):

GOODBYE, QUILT. HELLO, BETTER PRAYER LIFE. Reprinted from the April 2009 issue of The Lutheran magazine · “I keep a small notebook with my Bible. Everytime I have a prayer concern, I write a dated entry in it. I pray about items on my personal list for a month. If a concern needs more than a month of attention, I write a new note with a new date and probably new information” (Katherine Harms, Baltimore). · “Seeking a healthy prayer lifestyle is similar to health: choosing intentionally each day to balance a prayer life with a variety of holy habits. A healthy prayer life tastes a variety of prayers. The experience of praying, setting regular time aside and creating space for silence opens up my heart to the Spirit. The body needs rest and so does the soul; resting with God through silence, solitude and regualr retreats renews my spirit” (Jean Wise, Edon, Ohio). · “I pray when I’m in pain (in an exercise class). I work though ACTS --adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication” (Danette M. Griffin, Indianola, Iowa) · “My first inclination when my prayer life dried up was to spend more and more time praying my usual way. It never occurred to me that God was inviting me into a new relationship through new ways of prayer. Eventually as I opened myself up into different practices I discovered a deeper, more challenging relationship with the One who names me beloved” (Michael J. Woods, La Crescent, Minn.). · “I have collected prayers from others that give voice to my longing and pain. In the darkest times of my life when my heart still yearns to pray, the words simply would not or could not flow from my lips. Offering heartfelt prayers of lament and longing from ‘famous persons’ help me and others remember that all of us struggle from time to time. There is an affirmation in remembering that even in our darkest nights of the soul we are not alone. “I use prayer without words, too. I call that ‘laptime with God.’ It remeinds me of being a small child and crawling into the lap of my father or mother, snuggling into the warmth and safety of those arms. No need for words-just love given and received” (Anne Andert, Sunburg, Minn.). · “When my husband was diagnosed with terminal illness, our pastor advised, ‘Keep your eyes on Jesus every step of the way.’ After that, the time Ispent in prayer was concentrated on awareness of God’s presence arouind us and in us” (Marilyn Fursman, Granada Hills, Calif.). · “An organized prayer book with lists, photos and notes keeps me accountable and my prayer time enjoyabler” (Esther Prabhakar, Rochelle, HI). · “I use cewntering prayer, a letitng-go of words, images and thoughts so I can rest quietly in God’s love. It’s a solitary encounter with God, but it is neither a substitute for communal worship nor an escape from the world. In centering prayer I hear the Spirit silently speaking God’s word to me, and I emerge with an expanded awareness of who God wants me to be in the church and in the world” (Deborah Halter, Gulf Coast, Miss.). · “At the Lutheran Home at Trinity Oaks where I work, meetings open with prayer. Every morning at shift change, staff recite a prayer to set the day’s tempo. Staff pray for or with one another and for the well-being of those we care for and their families” (Brenda Zimmerman, Salisbury, N.C.). · “I manage a food pantry, and we formed a prayer circle each morning with staff and volunteers, praying that the churches and the public will help us meet the increased need” (David Drumm, Gahanna, Ohio). · “I try to not direct God in my prayers but to ask instead for the strength to face difficulty and to accept any illness that may come” (Evelyn Palik, Ashland, Ohio). BE READY FOR ANYTHING Type of prayer may differ by age. Prayer with our smallest members may differ from our prayers with teens. But don’t assume anything. Michael J. Woods, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran, La Crescent, Minn., said the congregation’s youth consistently report that candlelight prayer around the cross on Wednesdays during Advent is a highlight of their confirmation years-something that amazed him. “Simplicity, silence, darkness and a sense of community are all powerful elements of those December Wednesdays,” he said. Kathryn Love, ELCA director for prayer and spiritual renewal, said she sees a real hunger for prayer across the country. Therefore, the ELCA host an online network of congregations and prayer groups worldwide. The ELCA Prayer Network collects prayer requests online and forwards them to network participants, who offer prayer (at the link below):

www.prayingchurch.org

Make this the time you rejuvenate your prayer life.