Liberal Democrat Christian Forum

Tips on Prayer

Written by Phil Togwell
Wednesday, 07 November 2007
Phil Togwell from 24-7 Prayer provides some suggestions on how to improve your prayer-life. Firstly, start right now: You don't have to wait for the next prayer meeting, or the next time you have a Bible in your hand. God is everywhere. God is with you right now, as you sit reading this magazine. Talk with God right now. When John Wesley was asked how long he prayed, he replied, "never more than half an hour" (which is a relief for someone like me, who always feels guilty about how little I pray). "But," he added, "I never let half an hour go by without praying." The Bible says "pray continually". So start right now. Keep it simple: The famous preacher, CT Studd, said, "…just call him Father, and ask for something". God isn't particularly impressed with the length of our prayers, nor how many Bible verses we can cram into our few sentences. God is more interested in what is in our hearts, right now… Just call him Father, and talk with him. ... and Listen: Last year, I watched a comedian at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival do a routine as 'Jesus'. Half way through, he turned towards the audience with a despairing look on his face. "My Father told me there's nearly two billion of you talking to him… but no-one's listening?!" We're fairly good at talking, at listing the things that we want God to do for us, or for others, but we're not so good at listening. Let's remember that prayer is about conversation. Stop and listen for a while. Make space and time: In Carl Honore's wonderful book, 'In Praise Of Slow', he says that "we must make time for activities that defy acceleration". We live in an accelerated, busy world, with many demands on our time and attention, and we need to resist that acceleration. Jesus frequently slipped away from the crowds to make space and time to be with his Father, and we must too. Go for a walk in the park. Turn off the TV. Shut yourself in a room, alone. Slow down, and pray. Be creative: My brother has cerebral palsy and is unable to speak, and yet, whenever someone prays with him, he blows kisses. I suspect God is more delighted with his kiss-prayers than my wordy-nonsense most of the time. God has made us all creative - it is a part of the imprint of God in our lives. Try praying and worshipping without verbal-words. Draw a picture. Paint something. Write poetry or prose. Dance, or use music. Sit in silence. Find a sacred space: We can pray everywhere and anywhere, of course, because God is everywhere and anywhere. There is nowhere where God isn't. However, there are times and places where the God who is everywhere, is somewhere - the Bible, and church history are full of examples. I have a friend in a Muslim country who visits an olive grove outside his town to pray in secret - this is his 'sacred space', the space he goes to be alone with God. The Bible says that as we draw near to God, God draws near to us. Find somewhere special to go, to "draw near to God". (You might want to consider setting up a '24-7prayer room' in your church or home or school as a 'sacred space'?) ... and keep praying: Ask. Seek. Knock. Be persistent. Don't give up. Be a marathon-pray-er and not a sprinter-pray-er. Keep on asking God for the things that are on your heart, and keep on listening. Keep on seeking the kingdom of God, and the presence of Jesus in your life. And keep on knocking. Maybe this time, the door will open? Don't be put off by silence… even in the times of silence, God is not absent. Keep on praying. To find out more about 24/7 prayer, go to www.24-7prayer.com.

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