Prayer, Week 1

I am excited for us to begin discussing various spiritual formation practices. This month our conversation will be centered on the topic of prayer. We are going to take a look at various Old and New Testament scriptures and examine several ways to incorporate prayer into our lives as a practice. When we practice something we continue to get better at it, and with prayer, I think this is an area where we will keep growing and learning our whole lives.

I want to reiterate that the goal of spiritual formation is not to become excellent at completing a task to then check it off our to-do list, but rather the goal is to learn to love Jesus more while exploring different tools to help us draw ever closer to God. The hope is that we would each continue to learn and grow for a lifetime as we allow for our mind, body, and spirit to be transformed by the truth, goodness, and beauty of our Creator.

This week we begin by looking in Daniel 6. As the book of Daniel opens, Judah has been captured by Babylon, and her residents are now exiles in a foreign land. The first five chapters of this book give us evidence that Daniel continued to live a life that honored God even while in exile. As we approach chapter 6, we deduce that Daniel is older now, probably in his late 70’s or early 80’s depending on various dates. He has lived a full life in Babylon, is a respected member of the government, and has remained faithful to God. Daniel’s co-workers are jealous of him and of the favor he has found with the king, so they devise a plan to bring him down. A trap is laid as his co-workers convince the king to sign an edict requiring that no person in the land should pray to anyone other than the king for 30 days.

Daniel 6:10 “When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upstairs room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”

This verse tells us a rich story of Daniel’s faith as a worshipper of God. Daniel as a young man had been removed from his home and brought into Babylon where he was then educated about all things Babylonian. He was a brilliant man, and yet he never forgot where he came from or what he’d been taught about loving and obeying God. We see in verse 10 when Daniel hears the king has signed the edict how he continues to do what he has done before. He goes to his room, opens his window to Jerusalem, gets on his knees, and prays three times a day.

As an exile in Babylon, there would have been no temple for Daniel, or any other Israelite, to go and worship God. The Temple was in ruins in Jerusalem, and even if it hadn’t been they weren’t allowed to return home while in Babylon. Yet during these years in exile, the Jewish leaders had created rhythms for the people of God to come together even while apart. There were specific times set aside for prayer. Morning, noon, and night those in exile turned toward Jerusalem, where the Temple had been filled with the Spirit of God, and prayed together.

Those in exile had established rhythms to worship God despite their circumstances. We also need rhythms in our worship of God. We see in Daniel an example of a rhythm of prayer. Day in and day out Daniel would kneel, a posture of adoration and surrender, and talk with God. Three times a day he and his fellow Israelites would do this; together praying and giving thanks.

Prayer is a conversation between us and our Creator; us and God talking and listening. For us to recognize God speaking to us, we must be able to identify his voice. Imagine those closest to you - your sister, children, brother, spouse, grandmother, best friend, etc. When they call you on the phone, you know their voice. They do not need to introduce themselves every time they call because you know them. The more time you have spent together the more familiar their voice has become. This is also true in our prayer life.

The practice of prayer builds a relationship between us and God. When we practice prayer every day we are creating a rhythm that allows us to talk openly with God about everything. A space where we can ask questions, wrestle with feelings, intercede, repent, lament, celebrate, and so much more. When we establish a rhythm of prayer in our lives we continue to grow and learn, while also creating a sure footing to stand upon no matter our circumstances.

When Daniel’s life was in danger, he didn’t run and hide. Instead, he did what he always did. He knelt; praying and thanking God. He knew, just like his friends back in Daniel 3:17-18, that his God could rescue him, but even if he did not he would remain faithful to him no matter what.

This week I want to encourage you to look at your rhythm of prayer. Do you have one? Do you need to establish one? Are you comfortable talking with God, or are you unsure of how to begin? Do you, like Daniel and his friends, know that God is worthy of your adoration, and know that no matter your circumstances you can trust him?

If you have an established rhythm of prayer, my hope for you this week is that you would encounter God in a fresh way as you continue to pray and give thanks. If prayer is new for you, my hope is that this conversation would encourage you to begin to explore the practice of prayer in your every day life.

~ Melissa