Study 4. Responsive

Let’s keep going with these studies and ideas on prayer, don’t forget, if you want to get in touch with us with feedback then it would be great to hear from you! 

OK, we need to be honest here about prayer. It is easy to create this idea that praying will always be incredible, you shut your eyes, you’re hidden in some secret place and have hours to reflect and pray. As you do there is the sounds of waterfalls and a gentle breeze washes over you, perfection. Well the reality is you will probably be busy at work, doing right by you and the family maybe and only when the wheels have fallen off is there the thought ‘hmmm maybe I could pray about it?’

Prayer is more than a responsive, in the moment thing but it is also a responsive, in the moment thing too and that’s ok. I have found myself on the edges of a punch up with some angry people or in some sort of physical danger or one of my kids have busted themselves up and the ‘responsive prayer’ thing has kicked in. Responsive to the moment, the immediate setting and situation we are in is a great way to talk to God. ‘Help God!’ ‘I need you to save them, rescue us, get us out of here now!’

But, unlike a friend who gets fed up with us when we only go to them in an emergency and they end up sulking and avoiding our calls, God is bigger than that. If you speak to him, he is there even if you only go with the emergency stuff but the point is, prayer is a relationship so whilst the responsive prayers are valid and can be great, prayer is designed to be about much more than just that. 

In today’s Bible verse you can see Jesus using responsive prayers, and actually these are in my opinion some of the most profound moments of prayer in Jesus’ life. 

In his most desperate moment of need and chaos, Jesus, facing false arrest, brutality and his own murder calls out to his Father in heaven. 

It is a great example of a responsive prayer, but it is built on relationship. Jesus had prayed, found that secret place, developed and nurtured a pattern of talking to God. So much so that Jesus knew God’s will, his prayer indicates this foundation, relationship and lifestyle of prayer. Not my will but yours be done! In other words, help me! But I know what you have called me to do so let’s do this. 

Maybe you are doing the emergency prayers, I hope you can see that it’s a good thing. But if you are looking for hope, peace, direction and a continued presence of God in your life then praying needs to shift from 1stand into second gear. Keep the motion and movement going. Driving around in first gear all the time doesn’t enable you to enjoy the experience of driving or get out of the car what it was designed to do. Not the best example I know, but I am a petrol head. Point is, prayer will unlock more of this ‘God relationship’ in your life, but don’t dismiss the responsive shoutouts too, its all part of it.