Part 2: Let us pray … being ourselves

One of the things I often find myself pondering is how I can most authentically be myself in prayer, and in embarking upon Thy Kingdom Come last week, I found myself thinking about this again. I don't know how many times I have heard an inspiring talk on prayer, that has left me wanting to up my game in prayer … and yet I've sometimes struggled to turn that initial burst of energy and enthusiasm into long-term sustainable daily habits. And I suspect I am not the only one.
 
The evangelical tradition that I (and I expect many of us) grew up in taught me that you should have a quiet time every morning, and was very prescriptive about what that should look like. I'm not for a moment suggesting that quiet times are a bad idea. But if you have small children, or you work really early shifts, then the timing might be challenging. Furthermore, I have learnt along the way that there is a whole treasure trove of ways to pray available to us, and in fact walking and talking with the Lord and King of the universe becomes more exciting if we stop viewing it as a 'should' to tick off or a technique to master. Instead we could think of it as a journey that offers us a whole lifetime of learning, an adventure in which we continually discover new avenues to explore. And all the time we get to learn more about who God is and who we are.
 
When I went to theological college to train as a vicar, I suddenly had new friends from across the spectrum of the church, traditional and contemporary, high catholic to mad charismatic, conservative, liberal and everything in between. And they all loved Jesus just as much as I did. We were encouraged, rather than being sceptical of each other, to see our different experiences of prayer as opportunities to learn and grow together, and to be enriched in our own journeys. And I felt a bit like I'd been trying to live on a diet of Weetabix at every meal when actually there was a feast laid before me, and I had just never realised.
 
If we look through the sweep of Scripture, we don't discover one prescribed formula for how we should pray. There are models for us like the Lord's Prayer of course, but there are also a hundred and one different examples of different people in different circumstances praying to God in all kinds of different ways. Abraham liked to put altars up all over the place; he seemed to appreciate that sense of ritual. Moses liked a good heated debate with God. David was pretty flamboyant; he wrote poetry, he sang, he even danced! Solomon made sacrifices, Ezekiel had visions, Paul wrote a fair amount of what has become our liturgy, Mary simply sat at Jesus' feet, content to just "be". All of these and so many more are biblical models of prayer offered to us.
 
Many factors will impact the way that we pray. Our personality is one thing. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? More of a 'thinker' or a 'feeler'? Do you like routine and predictability, or change and variety? Our circumstances are another factor. Our living arrangements and our daily routine will affect how we pray. I prayed differently as a single person commuting into London to the way I do now, as a parent of young children who works very locally. One thing that kept me going in lockdown was varying the ways that I prayed. I sang, I journalled, I prayer walked, I prayed the examen, I tried to sit in silence, I used liturgy. Amidst the monotony of life in that season, I found varying the way that I prayed really enriching. So I regularly ask myself, what pattern of prayer would work best for me right now? Is there anything I need to change? How about you?

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash