Teach me to pray 1

I saw a question in a blog recently which gave me pause: "Is your parish the kind of place where someone could teach me to pray?"

First of all, I am somewhat doubtful that the world is full of sincere searchers trying to find an authentic spirituality. I do believe that such people exist. I just think that there is a (false) romantic idea that churches fail the vast population which is hungry for real spirituality. Throughout my ministry (stretching over thirty years) there has rarely been more than a handful who seemed interested enough to pursue it. On the other hand, I do think that most people, at least sometimes, would like to improve their prayer life. I have seen dozens of people regularly give up a day or a weekend in order to attend a retreat. SO there here hope!

How would a church teach someone to pray? Our approach is pretty basic. First of all, I would invite this  searcher to a disicpline. I would explain to him/her that prayer is a wonderful gift and a heavy task. Prayer is something which anyone can do without a bit of instruction and prayer is the most difficult task imaginable. I would warn them that prayer is often dry, monotonous, empty and feels futile. I would promise them that prayer was sublime, amazing and life-giving. I would exhort them to pray (and pray and pray) with little regard for how it felt or how successful it seemed. I would tell them that this side of glory prayer will be like all human endeavor, fraught with struggle yet blessed by God and holy.

What would the discipline I invite them into look like?
(some will not like this. they will point out that it is not available to everyone. many Christians come from a different vantage point. I do not see this as the only way, but I do see it as the best and most faithful. It is why I do what I do, after all!)
1. Daily liturgical prayer. We have Morning Prayer Monday through Friday. It serves two purposes. One, it requires effort and travel. The act of doing this and the fact of the inconvenience make it an overt act of worship. It also brings a person into a place and time set aside for God (sacred space/time) which is consistent with the Scriptures. It signals a person that there is encounter to be had with the Creator-Savior Father. Secondly, it is done in community. The us-ness of church is a vital lesson in our spiritual growth. We are called to be His People. Praying with others is a sacramental realization of the real world of prayer. It needs to be done as often as possible (and that is hard for most people).
2. Weekly eucharist. The Sunday gathering around Word and Altar/Table has long been preferred Christian mode of worship. It should be God centered (not audience) and should include prayer of praise, thanks (lots) as well as confession of sin and petition/intercession. The heart of worship should focus on God's gift of salvation in Jesus and Jesus' sacrifice of Himself on the cross. It should include resurrection, ascension and the promise of return. Once again, a communal gathering.
3. Bible study in a class. Learning to pray is helped by the Bible. The Bible reveals the prayers of others. It shows us the foundational experiences of God'd people. It also gives us insight into God's plan and how He works. It contains hundreds of prayers (psalms, obviously, but also prayers abound in all the other books)

These three provide us with a language and mental models for prayer. Our unconscious mind is shaped by the terms and the frequent encounter with the Scriptures slowly shape and form us. This then is the foundation. It is the discipline. One can pray liturgically without feeling anything. Or one can be transported into another realm of insight and awe. I know this to be a fact because I have personally experienced both. One can make the words personal by submission. It saves the pray-er from the task of being creative. It is the way that historically the holiest Christians have done it.

As we are slowly (and it is dang slow!!!) shaped and formed by the common prayer and study in community; we also have to engage in our own personal times of prayer and study. We turn to that next, tomorrow.