The Breath of Prayer

Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry out to you, when I lift my hands toward your holy dwelling.

Psalms 28:2

Only those who have never spent time at the Lord’s feet will find it difficult to understand what we are talking about today and the strength that can come from it. The advice I’ve received over the years has always been that to learn to pray, rather than reading books, one must practice prayer in order to gain confidence and knowledge. The theories of others are not enough; what is needed is the practice of being genuine believers. A disciple is recognized when he or she strives to put into practice what has been learned from his or her mentor and from the teachers around him or her. Charles H. Spurgeon, in a lesson on prayer, stated: “I fear that, to a greater or lesser extent, we all need a thorough examination of conscience in this regard. If any of you students had the courage to say that you pray as much as you should, I would have serious reason to doubt your claim. Let us remember that the secret of an effective ministry lies in the priority given to time spent at the throne of grace.” If we examine our lives, I believe no one is so presumptuous as to claim they spend enough time in prayer. How do we know how much time is needed for prayer? Spurgeon added in his lecture that a disciple, “even if he is not continually absorbed in prayer, will live constantly in a spirit of prayer.” It is the attitude that counts.

I am among those who do not consider “prayer” a ritual or a mnemonic exercise to be recited when needed. Instead, I consider it the believer’s disposition to continually seek the Lord’s guidance. I like to lead myself into His shadow, where I can silence all external voices and listen to the gentle whisper of His loving voice. Oscar Cullmann wrote that “to pray, one also needs—indeed, above all—courage, and this courage is often lacking in us.” And it’s true. Sometimes we lack the courage to cut ourselves off from things that are a waste of time and devote ourselves to what is good for us. In the Book of Psalms, the quintessential collection of prayers, we find several forms of prayer: lament or cries for help, and thanksgiving and praise. Then there is a more intimate form, without questions or explicit expressions of praise, without spoken words: it is silent prayer, made up of tranquility and trust, as is evident in Psalm 28. A peaceful communion with God can be found even without the use of words. Another psalm depicts this with a scene dear to all: that of a child in its mother’s arms, resting securely at her breast: “Truly, my soul is calm and at peace. Like a weaned child at its mother’s breast, so is my soul at peace within me” (Psalm 131:2).

Just as a contented child who has stopped crying and lets himself be held in his mother’s arms, so too can “my soul rest” in the divine presence. It is precisely in that embrace that you realize you have no need for words—and perhaps not even for thoughts. Prayer can help us during those moments when we feel like the disciples—longing for peace, yet unexpectedly confronted by the tumultuous pressure of their thoughts when a storm suddenly strikes their boat on the Sea of Galilee. Christ is in the boat with us, ready to come to our aid. Only prayer helps us discover this. Perhaps you are going through a dark period in your life; a great storm is raging over your days. As a brother, I invite you to return to that child at his mother’s breast, to her simple and infinitely tender gesture, and your soul will experience a supernatural calm. More than a few have called prayer the breath of the soul, which transcends every liturgical form and doctrine. A simple tool within everyone’s reach. Even if your hands are empty, through prayer you have something to offer. Let us join the psalmist: “May my prayer rise before you like incense; the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2). Let your soul breathe!

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September 7, Proverbs 1–2; 1 Corinthians 16

September 8, Proverbs 3–5; 2 Corinthians 1

September 9, Proverbs 6–7; 2 Corinthians 2

September 10, Proverbs 8–9; 2 Corinthians 3

September 11, Proverbs 10–12; 2 Corinthians 4

September 12, Proverbs 13–15; 2 Corinthians 5

September 13, Proverbs 16–18; 2 Corinthians 6