Where do you pray? Two of the greatest men of prayer I have ever known were Tommy Hunt at Southwestern Seminary and Bill Gladden, a leader in our church in Austin. Both had designated rooms to pray. Tommy gave us note cards and asked us to tell him our prayer needs. Then he prayed over us, like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, with loud cries and tears. Bill designated a closet in each home he bought so that he could pray.
In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees were the famous “Pray-ers.” They loved the limelight and the attention they received. When they prayed, they sounded so good. But like one of Jesus’ parables, their prayers were often self-centered, castigating others while they exalted themselves. Jesus seemed to think those prayers never made it through the ceiling. As John the Baptist taught his disciples to pray, Jesus answered the request of his own disciples.
The Disciples’ prayer or the Lord’s Prayer as we commonly call it, is remarkable for its simplicity. First, we focus on God, our Father – his name, his kingdom, and his will. Then we offer petitions for our needs for basic supplies like bread and the great spiritual need for forgiveness. We can’t live without bread or forgiveness. So, we ask God. Finally, we boldly ask God to give us victory over temptation and the evil one.
In Hershey Park, I have a place that John Bisagno showed me. When I run or walk by there every day, I pray this prayer. In so many ways it centers me, grounds me in the simplicity of Christ’s calling. God is my Father. His name is great. He is my King. He has a will for my life. I depend on him for every breath, much less the bread I eat. As I forgive others, I ask for his forgiveness. He gives me victory over temptation. Evil will not have the last word in my life.
My friend Bill Gladden used to awaken during the night. He told me once, “When I wake up, I get up, and when I get up, I look up. When I look up, I pray up.” Find a place. Nobody needs to know it is there. Seek God with all your heart. You will find him. I know it.
