How To Prayনমুনা

Say it Like You Mean it: Sincerity

Human beings have a remarkable capacity for turning the sacred into something ordinary. The constant stream of undervalued possessions, experiences, and relationships that comes in the wake of our consumerism is a relatively mild example of this. But this is a problem as old as humanity itself. 

Somehow, we are able to come face to face with God, seeing his power and beauty in ways that can steal our breath, and over time turn those interactions into something ordinary. Something we try to manipulate. Shockingly, we often try to turn our interactions with God into something that can be used to impress other people.

For this reason, Jesus had to remind us that our interactions with him need to be sincere. In his famous Sermon the Mount, Jesus explained that we can easily turn giving to those in need into a human-focused thing. Then he exposed the outwardly religious who turn prayer into a performance art, meant to impress. 

Prayer, Jesus reminds us, is about speaking to God. Sure, other people will sometimes hear what we say to God. But if we ever find ourselves praying with other people in mind, we can be sure that we’ve distorted prayer. If we ever find ourselves praying according to some formula or out of mindless obligation, we can be sure we have distorted prayer. 

Do you find yourself speaking directly to God? You’re on the right track. Do you find yourself speaking with God about the things that matter most to you? That’s prayer. If it feels devoid of relationship, then it’s not prayer. If it feels stuffy or lifeless, it’s not prayer. Prayer is the impulse to speak to God; just be sure you say what you mean.