How To PraySýnishorn

Not So Fast: Reverence

The Christian faith is full of paradox. Jesus is fully God and fully human. God is transcendent and yet approachable. And with regard to prayer: God is accessible as an ongoing conversation partner, and yet he is to be treated with reverential fear. 

So while our first impulse in prayer should be to simply talk directly to God, we should also pause regularly to consider who we are speaking to. The Preacher in Ecclesiastes calls us to approach God with care. This is not because God is inapproachable. The Preacher’s statement does not come from a tentative fear that God may not be inclined to hear our words. Rather, it’s a recognition that God is, in fact, God. 

One of the greatest mysteries of the Bible is that the same God who created the universe also chooses to call us his friends. The intimate relationship he initiates with us does not diminish his majesty. Our relational nearness to him should not foster irreverence.  

At any point throughout the day, you can and should find yourself speaking directly to God as to a friend. Your ever-present conversation partner also happens to be the King of the universe; we are foolish if we forget this. 

Tim Keller has said, “The only person who dares wake up a king at 3:00 AM for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access.” As we pray, we pause to consider who we are speaking to. And in doing so, we remember that we have access because we are his children.

Never resist your impulse to speak directly to God. And as you speak, never forget who you are speaking to. This tension shows perfectly the miracle of prayer.