May 6 , 2009
“How We Pray ”
Dear Friend,
I have been thinking about how life works. People who engage in this kind of thinking commonly fall into at least three categories. They believe:
- The laws of physics and genetics explain everything.
The providence and miraculous works of God explain everything.
Life is absurd and inexplicable.
I believe these categories isolate existence far too drastically. What if we combine these three ways of thinking into a new synthesis? It might look something like this:
- The laws of physics and genetics establish the norms we should expect.
God generally uses these laws as His primary tools in providence, but sometimes He acts in transcendent or miraculous ways.
Most of life experience yields to thoughtful explanations, but some moments and events escape reasonable explanations.
When I synthesize these ways of thinking about life, it helps me understand the nature of prayer:
- Generally my prayer requests respect the established norms that God created. I pray in the context of physical and genetic reality.
Occasionally I pray for a divine intervention in which God acts for His greater purpose, not for my self-indulgences.
In the mysteries and absurdities of life, I give thanks for unexpected blessings and I ask for faith, hope and love in times of trauma.
Your prayer life expresses how you think life works. It either inspires faith or encourages disappointment. I challenge you to pray in thoughtful as well as “faith-full” ways. May God bless you as you work out your daily life through Scripture reading and prayer.
Doc
Dr. Dave Collings
Lead Pastor
Christ Church
