The Logos Prayer: November 2013

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Contemplative Prayer: Waiting for the Lord

Psalm 130 is a Pilgrim Song. Travelers going to Jerusalem would sing this psalm, along with others, as they ascended the mountain of Zion to attend the feasts of Passover, Tabernacles, and Pentecost. These pilgrim songs were published as a little booklet that contained Psalms 120-134, collectively called Psalms of Ascent. For me, the Psalms of Ascent are beautiful to use as I center my heart for contemplative prayer, because when I practice this kind of prayer, I feel as if my spirit were ascending to God on Mount Zion itself. My spirit soars within me as I engage in the ancient Christian practice of contemplation. I hope you'll discover contemplative prayer for yourself.

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits..."

Contemplative prayer is different from traditional prayer, which seeks to tell God everything that is on your mind. In contemplative prayer, the praying person seeks to immerse herself in God's presence. She wants to hear God, rather than being heard by God. Simply put, contemplative prayer is resting in God's presence, without saying anything. And, if possible, without thinking anything. Because whatever you're thinking is distracting you from whatever God is thinking. Slowly breathe in and out, resting in God and trusting in His love. Whenever you find yourself distracted by your own thoughts, simply repeat a sacred word from the scripture text you've been reading (I call this sacred word a Logos Prayer). Let this word bring you back to silence, where you wait on, and listen to God. Try it for twenty minutes or so, and see the peace that it brings.

Psalm 130 prepares the heart for contemplative prayer. It says:

130 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
2 O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
    and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
    more than watchmen for the morning,
    more than watchmen for the morning.

7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
    For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
    and with him is plentiful redemption.
8 And he will redeem Israel
    from all his iniquities.

Psalm 130 notes three stages in contemplative prayer: confession, contemplation, and connection.

First, verses 1-4 prepare the praying person to enter the presence of God through prayers of confession. It is impossible to enjoy contemplation if your heart is burdened by sin. So begin your prayer time by confessing your sins to God, and allow His healing and forgiveness to flow through you. Let the "grace that is greater than all our sin" nourish and restore you. "Out of the depths (v.1)" might refer to the depths of guilt or the depths of sin, but it may simply indicate the depths of the heart. During this initial time, it's okay to use words, tears, and body movements to indicate your contrition. But once you feel the Holy Spirit's assurance of forgiveness, move on from confession to quiet contemplation.

Next, verses 5-6 move us into the heart of contemplative prayer--which is simply waiting on God, with all your heart and soul. When you feel distracted, don't get discouraged. Simply hope in God's word (Logos), which returns you to listening. Breathe in deeply, and breathe out deeply. Breathe in God's love, and breathe out any worry or fear you might have. Inhale God's grace. As you exhale, release any tension or unforgiveness you may have for someone else. Listen to God's Spirit as you breathe. God may speak, or He may not. If not, don't worry about this. It's just you and God, sitting together in silence like two people in love who don't need words. Mutual listening is a beautiful thing. Be attentive to God, even as a watchman is attentive to his surroundings. Wait for God, even as the watchman waits for dawn. If you're distracted, return to your Logos Prayer again. (For me, today, in Psalm 130 it would be "mercy." For you, it might be a different word entirely.) Wait, watch, and listen. Rest in God's presence.

Finally, verses 7-8 take us from an inward focus to an outward attention. Connection to others is never forgotten, lest contemplative prayer become nothing more than navel-gazing. As the praying person emerges from contemplation, he re-engages the world in a redemptive way. "O Israel, hope in the Lord!" If contemplative prayer is introverted, it is lived out daily in an extroverted way, testifying of God's steadfast love and redemption, and working to reconcile the world to God. The person who practices real contemplative prayer does not remain cloistered behind inwardly-focused meditations. Rather, he lets his prayer life shape the way he encounters the world around him.

Today, I invite you to contemplative prayer. If you've never practiced it before, don't worry--it's among the easiest (and one of the most profound) forms of prayer you could practice. Start with confession, then move into quiet contemplation. Finally, emerge into a connection with the world that puts you to work as an ambassador of Christ's redemption. I pray that your soul soars as you learn contemplative prayer--as your "soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning."

*Scriptures taken from the ESV.

Patience in Prayer

Today is the second day in our 41st week, reading the Bible through in a year. Our scriptures today are: Jeremiah 37, 21, 34; James 5; Psalm 79.

This morning as I settled into my prayer time, my mind was wandering and restless. Distracting thoughts pelted my consciousness like stones. Finally, I was able to center myself, when I realized God's words to me from James 5, verses 7-11 (NIV). The entire passage reads:

7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

Patience is a difficult thing when you're engaged in any activity. In prayer, it can be especially difficult because we're not used to sitting quietly in God's presence and simply letting God be God. We try to fill the silence with our own thoughts, wants, fears, petitions, and so on. But God would rather we listened to Him than fill the air with restless chatter. He has some advice for us, as we try to settle our thoughts for prayer.

"Be patient...until the Lord's coming." Certainly, this pertains to Jesus' Second Coming, but I think it means more than that. For over two millennia, Christians have been waiting for the Second Coming, but I believe Paul is telling us to be patient as we wait for the Lord to manifest His presence in our heart when we pray. Certainly, He is always with us--but when we enter into prayer with a patient attitude, expecting God to show up in a way that we can discern, He will. Be patient until the Lord's coming. Wait for Him.

"See how the farmer waits..." Jesus talked about farmers all the time, drawing analogies from the agricultural life in order to demonstrate spiritual truth. Now, Paul does the same thing. The farmer sows his seed, and then he waits--simply trusting that the earth will produce. Once you've prayed, don't fret about it anymore. See how the farmer waits, with quiet trust, and do the same thing. God will provide the increase.

"Stand firm..." It's easy to waver in prayer, but God wants believers who will not falter. Standing firm in prayer means sinking your feet deep in the mud of God's promises. The promises of God will cement you in place. When you stand on His promises, He won't let you fall.

"Perseverance" is the key when you're struggling in prayer. Sometimes you don't feel like praying. Sometimes it's a struggle. Sometimes you can even suffer in prayer. But don't give up. Like did, you've got to see your prayer through until God brings His blessing.

The unifying concept in all these four phrases is simply the idea of consistent trust and passivity before God. The word "patient" comes from the root word "passive." To be patient before God means to rest in Him, to quit trying to work and struggle, and simply trust. Too often our prayers are filled with struggles within ourselves, wrestling with God, or battles with the principalities. Why not try simply resting in God? Be passive before Him. Trust that He will work His purpose out. Wait for the coming of the Lord.

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About Protestant Prayer Beads

Protestant (or Anglican, or Ecumenical) prayer beads are a great way to pray through God's word, without getting caught up in self-centered prayers or getting distracted by extraneous thoughts. Many people say that the tactile stimulation of using prayer beads keeps them focused on their prayers.

Most of the meditations on this website utilize the Ecumenical Prayer Bead format. These meditations also include devotional thoughts based on God's word.

About the prayer beads, King of Peace's website says:

Anglican Prayer Beads are a relatively new form of prayer, blending the Orthodox Jesus Prayer Rope and the Roman Catholic Rosary. The thirty-three bead design was created by the Rev. Lynn Bauman in the mid-1980s, through the prayerful exploration and discovery of a contemplative prayer group.

Unlike the Roman Catholic rosary, these prayer beads do not promote appeals to Mary and the saints. Protestants should have no worries in using these, as they simply utilize repetition of scripture and scripture-based prayers.

Quiet Time with Jesus: Lectio Divina

Whenever I teach Christian spirituality, I like to use the ancient framework of Lectio Divina (Latin: "Divine Reading). At one time, all Christians were taught the practice of Lectio Divina, but it was kept alive in the monastic tradition. It's a way of fully absorbing the Word of God, waiting on God, and praying God's word back to Him. As an example, I often use Psalm 136 to teach this practice.

There are four steps in Lectio Divina. These praying person should flow freely from one step to another, effortlessly and patiently. Personally, I like to spend about an hour in this practice.

**The fist step is Lectio, or "Reading."**
Let your prayer time begin with the Bible. Choose a scripture and read it deliberately and unhurriedly. I like to read it phrase-by-phrase, moving my lips as if I were speaking the words slowly, yet without prouncing them fully. This allows me to take time with the words, rather than skimming the verses. When you reach the end of your exhale, inhale slowly and take time to reflect on what you've just read, before you continue with your next exhale.

When you've finished reading the scripture the first time, read it again. Ask God to show you a word or a phrase that stands out from that scripture. Don't look for an entire verse--this is too long. Look for something shorter than that, just a word, or short phrase. This will be God's special gift to you.

Then, repeat the scripture again. Read it through several times. If you've carved out an hour for Lectio Divina, then make this about 1/4 of that hour.

Today, I've chosen Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26 in order to give you an example of this.
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
5 who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
7 who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
8 the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever...

23 He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
24 and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures forever.
25 He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.
I use this passage because it's easy to tell which phrase stands out above the rest. "His love endures forever" becomes a message that, being repeated over and over, works its way from your head to your heart. By the time you're done repeating this scripture, you fully grasp that God's love endures forever.

**The second step is Meditatio, or "Meditation."**
Take this word or phrase that you've found in Scripture (in this case, "His love endures forever," and repeat it to yourself. Breathe in slowly, whispering the phrase. Breathe out slowly, whispering the phrase. Repeat this for several minutes. Personally, I like to do this for fifteen minutes or so, if I'm doing Lectio Divina for an hour. Just allow the phrase to sink in.

Some Christians are opposed to repetition, citing Jesus' injunction against "vain repetition (Matthew 6:7)." "Vain" means pointless or ego-centric, and this repetition is neither of those things. It's a way of breaking through to my stony heart. Jacob Riis writes in Reader's Digest: "I look at a stone cutter hammering away at a rock a hundred times without so much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the 101st blow it splits in two. I know it was not the one blow that did it, but all that had gone before." God's word is like that. Repeat it enough, and it finally breaks through.

As a side note: Some people will use the word mantra to describe this repetition of a word or phrase. I never use this term, since mantras stem from the Hindu tradition, and what I'm talking about is decidedly Christian. Hindus believe their mantras to possess an esoteric quality, resonating with divine frequencies and effecting spiritual dimensions by their mystical resonance. Mantras are believed to have nearly the same qualities as a magic spell. The only similarity between a Christian's repetition of scripture, and a Hindu's mantra is the fact that it's a repeated word. Instead, I use the term Logos Prayer to describe this repeated word or phrase. Simply repeat this word that God has given you, back to Him. And in the process, He will give it back to you again, letting it break through your stony heart.

**The third step is Oratio, or "Prayer."**
If you've allowed an hour for the entire process of Lectio Divina, then spend about fifteen minutes in prayer. But don't just go through your prayer list. Instead, pray about the word or phrase that God has given you. In this case, our phrase is "His love endures forever." So, spend your prayer time talking with God about His enduring love. Thank Him for it. Praise Him for it. Ask Him for more of it. Give your enduring love back to Him. Ask Him to give enduring love to others. Let God's enduring love be the theme of this prayer. This is a free-form prayer time, without any script, without any right or wrong way to pray. Just allow the Logos Prayer to flow freely. If you wish, you might mark your transition from prayer to contemplation with the simply phrase, "In Jesus' name, amen."

**The fourth step is Contemplatio, or "Contemplation."**
Simply put, contemplation is resting in the "amen." Instead of letting your "amen" mean "Ok, I'm done praying now, so I'm going to hang up the phone," spend about a quarter-hour resting in it. "Amen" means "let it be." It is a word of simple reliance, trust, and resting in God's ability to do all that you could ever ask or imagine. Psalm 46:10 (NIV) says, "Be still, and know that I am God." Contemplation is being still, waiting on God, trusting God to complete what He has begun in you. Contemplation is uncomplicated in that it involves no reading, no repeating, no forming your own thoughts into words. It is simple resting in God's presence.

The thing to remember when practicing contemplative prayer is that it's not about you. In fact, in contemplative prayer, the ultimate goal is to empty one's self and be in God's presence. This doesn't mean that you're "opening your soul to whatever spirit wants to come in," as some people have suggested. It means that you're emptying yourself of ego, realizing that "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20 NIV)." Instead of filling your mind with the things that you want or think, simply rest in the passive attitude of a person who truly means it when they say "amen." Let it be.

You may find your mind wandering as you sit in silence, trying to think nothing and simply listening for God's still, small, voice. If this happens, simply say your Logos Prayer once. Don't repeat it as before. Just say it once, allowing it to bring you back to a place of silence. Sit quietly. Trust God. Listen to God. Let God fill you.

Many Christians say that their prayer life is boring--a routine of going through their prayer list and saying "amen" before they get about the business of their day. Lectio Divina is an ancient prayer method that refreshes your soul every day. Instead of being self-centered, this practice is God-centered. I invite you to try it for yourself, and see how your relationship with the Lord will grow.

Training Wheels for Prayer

A friend of mine wants to learn how to pray. She grew up in the church, learned the Lord’s Prayer, and is still lost on how to pray. She’s gone to the bookstore and seen the shelves full of books on prayer, but they all seem so complex. When she was still an unbeliever she started asking me about prayer, because she didn’t know how to approach God as a non-Christian. Now that she’s received the Lord, her relationship with Him has changed. But her desire for simplicity in prayer remains the same. Maybe you’re the same way. You desire truth in the inmost parts. You desire wisdom in the inmost place of your life.[i] Truth and wisdom are found best in simplicity. Complexity muddles the understanding.

If you want to learn to pray, it’s best to go back to the beginning. Forget the complicated methods you may have learned. Forget the formulas and formats. Go back to the beginning. Go back to the Word. By praying the Word you’ll learn how to make your quiet time with Jesus the most precious time of the day. You’ll get to the point where you’d rather have your quiet time than anything else. Jesus will come first in your life, and you’ll long for that sweet hour of prayer.

Some time ago, I invited my congregation to take their prayer time more seriously. I asked them to covenant with me, for a time, to pray for an hour a day. To my delight, more people accepted the challenge than I anticipated. Those who joined me in this prayer commitment received a daily encouraging email. I even had one gentleman join me from his prison cell. Though he couldn’t receive email, I sent him a weekly digest that he could read day by day. Through this hour of prayer, his prison cell became his monastery. Others told me how they, too, had been set free from sterile prayer procedures and had really learned how to connect with God. What I taught them wasn’t a new innovative technique—it was a way of praying that is as old as Christianity itself. I taught them to pray God’s Word.

Praying the Word of God is like a good set of training wheels. When my son learned to ride his bike for the first time, I put extra little wheels on that Schwinn of his so he wouldn’t fall over. Now, he’s grown out of his training wheels and can ride by himself. But I don’t think we ever grow out of training wheels when we learn to pray. We need help, because we don’t know how to pray as we ought. Fortunately, we have many resources ready to help us in prayer.

First, the apostle Paul tells us, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”[ii] So the Holy Spirit is like the parent who runs alongside the kid who’s learning to ride his bike. The Spirit points us in the right direction, keeps us upright and on the right path, and if we do fall down, interprets our prayers according to God’s perfect will. Without the Holy Spirit’s help, we would never learn how to keep our balance.

Second, we have the example of Christians who have gone before us. Paul says to his protégé Timothy, “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”[iii] You may have been guided by parents, pastors, teachers, friends, and others who led you to this point in your faith. You have heard the way that they pray, and their prayers have informed your own prayer life. If you pay attention, you may find yourself using phrases in prayer that you picked up from them. Perhaps you were taught to pray by using a liturgical prayer book. In the same way that some have learned to pray by listening to others, you learned by reading words penned by others. Praise God for prayer books—they have helped many grow closer to the Lord.

Third, we have a better prayer book—the Word of God. When you learn to pray God’s Word, you’ll wean yourself off of copying prayers written by professionals or spoken by friends. You’ll be able to pray God’s Word, and know God’s power in prayer.

The difference between learning to ride a bike and learning to pray is that once you’ve learned to ride, you quit learning and just ride. Once you’ve learned to pray, you keep growing and keep learning, and you always need your training wheels. You might learn to let go of prayer books and emulating great prayer leaders, but you never leave behind the Holy Spirit or finding inspiration in God’s Word.

When I invited people to pray for an hour a day, many happily joined me in the journey. I was amazed, however, at the number of folks who approached me saying, “I’d like to, but I just don’t think I could pray for an hour a day.” They were glad to sing the hymn in church, but they just couldn’t imagine a “Sweet Hour of Prayer” in real life. That’s because they envisioned spending an hour with their eyes closed, asking God for stuff. This book is written to show that prayer can be so much more!

What you read in this blog will revitalize your prayer life, if you let it. You’ll look forward to your quiet time with Jesus each day. On the days when you don’t have your quiet time (let’s get real), you’ll feel like you really missed out. You won’t approach your time with Jesus as many did when they first accepted my challenge, saying, “I don’t know how I’m going to get through this hour, but here goes.” Instead, when your kitchen timer goes off you’ll say, “Has an hour passed already?” Indeed, you’ll have more than a sweet hour of prayer. You’ll have a life of prayer.

[i] Psalm 51:6 NIV

[ii] Romans 8:26 NIV

[iii] 2 Timothy 1:6 NIV

What is the Logos Prayer?

Simply put, the Logos Prayer is praying God's word. I believe that God's word doesn't just have power. God's word is power to transform your life. If God could form the world with just a word, then His word also has power to shape your thinking and change your life.

Certainly, there are many kinds of prayer. The purpose of this blog isn't to cover every type of prayer, but to teach you to pray God's word in a life-altering way.

The Logos Prayer doesn't approach your devotion as a perfunctory inspirational message that you read before bed. It doesn't focus on your prayer time as a list of requests, but as an appointment with the One who sees the depths of your heart and mind and refashions your life to make you more like Jesus.

Romans 12:2 (NIV) says, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." The Logos Prayer does just that--it renews your mind. It isn't simple rote recitation of scripture, but a way of letting God's word sink into you.

Look at it this way: If you have a long nail that you want to hammer into a thick block of wood, you're going to have to hit it over and over again. If you're like me, then your heart can be a bit wooden, too. You need something powerful to transform you. Praying God's word through meaningful repetition hammers God's word into your heart and mind, transforming you from the inside out.

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Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Contemplative Prayer: Waiting for the Lord

Patience in Prayer

Patience in Prayer