Spiritual Disciplines (2)

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Matthew 21.21, 22

Begin – and stay – here
In the practice of spiritual disciplines, prayer is the foundation from which, the springboard by which, and the envelope in which Jesus sends us to the world. If we don’t get prayer right, and make use of it as the Lord Jesus intends, all our other disciplines will be little more than exercises in self-vaunting, full of sound and fury, perhaps, but signifying – and accomplishing – nothing of lasting value for Christ and His Kingdom.

It is the consistent witness of Scripture that engaging with God in prayer is the sine qua non of spiritual life. Therefore learning to pray and maintaining a vital practice of prayer must receive our most earnest attention. Prayer lays down a foundation that can give shape to all our thinking, adorn our hearts with the proper affections, and re-organize all our priorities for effective Kingdom living. From that foundation, prayer springs us into our daily lives, filled with the Spirit of God and poised to follow His lead and promptings in every situation. And prayer is the envelope, sealed with the Spirit and addressed to the parched world, that can bring grace and truth into every situation and person in our lives.

Learning to pray
Since prayer is so important in the life of faith, it’s not surprising that it’s difficult to learn, and even more difficult to practice the way we should.

Prayer being a form of conversation, it can be difficult to keep it going for very long with Someone we cannot see. Prayer takes time. In this generation of the followers of Christ we tend to equate time with activity, and prayer can be a difficult activity to sustain for very much time. Many believers will say they’ve “tried prayer” and have not found it to be especially helpful. Others will protest they don’t have time to pray – there’s just too much to do in serving the Lord, I suppose – or that they don’t know how to pray.

But the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ understood the importance of prayer. So much so, in fact, that they asked the Lord to teach them how to pray (Lk. 11.1), and He obliged, over and over again during the course of His earthly sojourn.

We can always improve our practice of prayer, and doing so will involve our continually striving to understand prayer better and to make good use of it as foundation, spring board, and envelope for our lives.

Improving your prayers
Here is not the place for a full-blown explanation of the nature, purpose, and practice of prayer. Instead, let me offer something of a propaedeutic on the subject, which might point you in some directions for improving your own practice of prayer.

First, always begin your day with prayer. At the beginning of the day, prayer can help you to reorient yourself to the Kingdom and your calling in it. Your morning prayers should contain much thanksgiving and praise, being specific in each category, so that you remind yourself of the abundant goodness, wisdom, and power of God as you start each new day in Him. Don’t be too quick to get into prayers of supplication and intercession for yourself and others. Linger before the Lord in praise and thanks, wondering at the grace and power that sustain and bless you, and that await you during the coming day. Begin your days in prayer, and make to sure to end them in prayer as well.

Second, make time for prayer during the day. You schedule the things that matter most to you each day – eating, appointments, tasks or projects, and the like. Try scheduling additional meetings with God for prayer at several times during the day. These don’t have to be lengthy, drawn-out times of prayer, just a few minutes to celebrate God’s goodness and prepare for whatever comes next. Setting aside times for prayer allows you to hang your day on prayer and make progress through it in the strength of the Lord, much like crossing a “monkey bar” when you were a child.

Third, maintain an attitude of prayer at all times. Let prayer launch you into every new activity. Think in a prayerful mode as you work or meet with others. Simple phrases like, “Thank You, Lord Jesus,” or “Help me, Lord,” or “Your Name be praised, O Lord,” uttered to yourself amid the everyday activities of your life can keep that prayer line open and working to supply you with the orientation and strength you need to think, feel, decide, and act in consistent Kingdom ways. Add to this singing to the Lord when you can – just a few bars of a favorite hymn – and you’ll find you’re making real progress in Paul’s instruction that we should pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5.17).

Finally, learn to pray the psalms. Believers in every generation have found the book of Psalms to be a powerful resource for coming to the Lord in prayer. We don’t know how to pray as we should, and God has gone to considerable trouble to make these prayers available to us. It only makes sense that we should learn to use them as He intends.

Here are no new insights on learning to pray and improving your practice of prayer. We’ve all known them. But it’s good to be reminded so that we take seriously this most foundational of all spiritual disciplines, and devote ourselves to praying and improving our prayers every day of our lives.

Next steps: What will you do, starting today, to make better use of the discipline of prayer? Share your plan with a Christian friend, and ask him or her to pray for you and check with you from time to time to see how you’re doing.

T. M. Moore

This week’s study, Spiritual Disciplines, is part 3 of a 7-part series on The Disciplined Life, and is available as a free download by clicking here. We have prepared a special worksheet to help you begin getting your disciplines in proper shape for seeking the Kingdom. Write to T. M. at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for you free PDF of the “Disciplined Life Worksheet.”

A rightly-disciplined life requires a Kingdom vision, and that vision is centered on Jesus Christ exalted. T. M. has prepared a series of meditations on the glorious vision of Christ, based on Scripture and insights from the Celtic Christian tradition. Order your copy of Be Thou My Vision by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.