Lent is a time where we are preparing for Easter.
And here at Trinity, we're doing this thing in
Lent called This is the Way. And This is the
Way is all about spiritual formation, all about
spiritual practices and the things that help
us to follow Jesus better. So we're going to
spend the next few weeks talking about these
different spiritual practices together. And we're
going to start by talking about prayer, which
maybe sounds like a really basic spiritual discipline,
but I think we'll find that it's... It's a little
complex at times. It can be really intimidating
sometimes for some folks. So yeah, excited to
unpack that with you all. So yeah, just first,
when you think about prayer, how would you define
it? What are some of the words or language that
comes to mind? Someone was like, what is prayer?
What would you say to that? Do you want to start
a model? For me, prayer is the way that we have
a relationship with God because a lot of the
times prayer... I mean, yeah, you have communal
prayer, but a lot of the times prayer is a one
-on -one thing. It's, you know, you're talking
to God and you're asking for things or you're
praying for things. And that's your main line
of communication. Sure. Yeah. That's great. Yeah.
What would you say, Elizabeth? I hope divine
prayer is a direct ongoing dialogue with God
or communication. fellowship, and commune with
God. There are some Bible passages relating to
prayer. Philippians 4, 6 -7 says, Be careful
for nothing, but in prayer, be careful for nothing,
but in everything, by prayer and supplication.
With thanksgiving, let your requests be made
unto God. Verse 7 says, And the peace of God,
which passeth all understanding, shall keep your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. There
are other Bible quotations like Psalm 51, the
favorite Psalm of David when he was repenting
from his sins. Matthew 7, 7. Matthew 6, 9 to
13. That's about the Lord's Prayer. And Hebrew
4, 16. Jeremiah 29, verse 12. And so on like
that. Okay. Yeah. So like when you think about
prayer, there's these like examples in the Bible
that sort of come to mind that show you this
is what it could look like. Yes. Yeah. OK. Yeah.
What would you add to that? I think I've got
a very basic definition. Anytime you address
God or have a sense that you are. acknowledging
his presence you know it can be short depending
on your circumstances it can be very intentional
and longer and it can take many forms I think
for me personally the sort of more personal address
is the dominant way in which I pray but there
have been so many times when I've also reached
for more structured prayers, which have given
me words. The Book of Common Prayer, there have
been times and periods in my life when I've reached
for those because they do have a broader, bigger
vision of who God is and, you know, the breadth
and depth that I sometimes can muster on my own.
So I think it's both. It's that sense of presence.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think what I like about all
that is that there is, a sense in which prayer
can be very personal, that it is just about you
and God and whatever words sort of come to mind
for you. But if that feels intimidating or if
you just don't know what to say, then there are
models in scripture, models in books and things
that other people have written that help us in
our prayer life. And I think that's really cool
that we get both of those things. God's not just
all about... wrote and it needs to be done this
specific way um we can use our words or if that
doesn't feel right we can use god's words we
can use other people's words so would you say
it's like there's uh like there's like a set
of prayers or so or like if you're feeling this
you pray this prayer or you're feeling that you
fear like or sort of like you turn to a certain
uh already written prayer Not a certain. I think
the thing with the daily offices and things like
that were that they had a lot more Psalms. They
had a lot more scripture that you can meditate
on and pray with it. So it changed each day.
Oh, okay. So it's not like a themed thing, right?
You can. I think there are also themed prayers.
I didn't go looking for those. I wanted just
a space where I wasn't. necessarily only ever
repeating my own concerns all the time I needed
at some point a bigger vision of who God is and
how he's working in the world and and I needed
the ability to do that with scripture and so
I reached for these practices to be able to allow
for that to happen right I have to confess it
was not though I mean there were you know times
and I went through that and then As usually,
you know, it dropped off a bit. Sure. Things
like that. But, yeah, those were times when I
felt that I was being pulled out of just my own
concerns. And that helped to deepen a sense of
trust in God. What really helps me is about the
acronym for prayer acts. Okay. We stand for adoration,
confession. Thanksgiving so I for my own I like
to go according to that sure yeah so it it really
helps me a lot yeah okay so acts adoration confession
Thanksgiving supplication these are good words
but they're big words so maybe we should just
take a take a sec to say what are we talking
about so Adoration, what does that look like?
Adoration prayer is the prayer we offer in praises
to God for all he has done for us. Yeah. Then
prayer of confession is like in Psalm 51, when
David offer... all his heartfelt communication
with God about the sins that he has committed
with Bathsheba. So he offered that kind of prayer.
So, and the Hebrew verb for that is jadah in
the main word. for the times in the Old Testament,
and it's used in 1, 14 times. So prayer of thanksgiving
is the expression of gratitude directed towards
God for his blessing, proficient protection,
and blessing that was received. um supplication
prayer is the action of petition asking for asking
god for something specific a solemn request for
help an object of worship so yeah yeah so adoration
this giving thanks to god or just like i i think
it's just acknowledging who god is like that
sense of transcendence right that he's so much
bigger than even he's just so much bigger and
so being able to first acknowledge that and letting
yourself meditate yeah on that space of just
how big he is how much greater than anything
we can imagine, and that, I find, is the space
of adoration. Yeah, I remember when we were talking
earlier, you said that you find adoration like
the hardest part of the prayer. Yes, yes, because
it's so transcendent compared to the other three,
right? The other three, I can say lots of, I'm
very thankful for so many things, but it's my
little world. Sure. Supplication and confession
are also my own little, my needs, my, and they
all matter, right? Every one of that matters,
but adoration is the space where you're, or releasing
yourself and focusing more on who God is, and
that can be challenging. For sure, for sure,
yeah. Yeah, so we recognize who God is, then
confession is kind of a moment of recognizing
who we are. Yeah. And not... Obviously, in the
context of confession, that can kind of have
a negative connotation. And that's, I think,
important for us to recognize our shortcomings
and also say that's not the entirety of who we
are. But in that moment, bringing those confessions
to God. Yeah, and then Thanksgiving. Again, I
think this is the part, like, when you pray.
when I pray with small children, it's often like,
okay, so what do you want to like thank God for?
And what do you want to ask God for? And these
are sort of the two, the two things. Okay. So
what are, what are we going to thank God for?
And then supplication is the, so what are we
going to ask God for? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think
that's a really helpful way to think about these
different aspects of, of prayer for sure. So
would you say acts the, that acronym that, that
that's how all your prayers should be structured,
but then like you can make it, personal like
how you think how you confess like what you're
confessing and all that kind of stuff it would
be like it because it sounds almost like you're
not telling us what to pray but you're saying
How the structure of your prayer should be. Yeah,
I think it depends on the individual. It does.
Yeah. I wouldn't say, I mean, sometimes I end
with adoration because I needed to get a whole
lot of like my own stuff out of the way before
I can. So I don't necessarily, I don't like,
it's a, you know, it's not necessarily a structured
model, but it is an easy way to understand four
aspects of prayer. And I feel like sometimes
adoration can just be. Like a very simple thing
of, anytime you say thank you God for whatever,
that's adoration. Correct, right? Well, kind
of. So the thank you God is the thanksgiving.
Oh, okay. Yeah, the adoration is more just like
who God is. Oh, okay. I guess the thanksgiving
is probably the easiest. It is. I do find it
easiest, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Adoration, I think.
it's connected to Thanksgiving. Right. But it
is, it's more, I think transcendent is a good
word for it. But it's like, God, you are creator.
God, you are father. God, you are life. We cannot
do anything without you. Yeah. But also, I think,
especially if you're struggling with some of
the challenges of our world today, it's that
space where you go, God, you haven't dropped
the ball. Yeah. You know, like, it's such a broken
world and you have to, you are the only one who
can actually redeem it because it feels so much
bigger than what we are capable of. And so that
space of release, that meditation on who God
is can allow for that to happen. For sure. Yeah.
So how, has prayer sort of been part of your
spiritual life so far? I know, like, for me,
I grew up in a household of Christians and people
of faith, and so, like, prayer was sort of a
thing that was always part of my life. But it's
become, I think, shifted over time. Like, I've
found now that, like, writing my prayers is actually
more helpful for me. It helps me to stay more
focused than just trying to, like, think or say
them out loud. But yeah, what about for other
folks? What does prayer look like for you? Prayer
has been part of my life, has been part of my
spiritual life since my childhood, growing up
in my family. My parents, they are very disciplinary
Christians. That, you know, even that time we
always say, oh, they are too strict on us and
all that. Because early in the morning before
5 a .m., we have to wake up and gather exactly
5 a .m. Everybody has to be in the living room
for morning devotion. At night before we go to
bed, the same routine every day of our lives.
So it's been... It's a real discipline for you.
Yeah, it's been like that. Even up till now,
I stay awake very early in the morning to do
my... Still 5 a .m.? To do my devotion. Even
sometimes before then because I always go to
bed early. Sure. so that i can get up early so
yeah it's been part of my life it's like if i
don't do it in a day it's like i'm worn out or
something so it's like feeding myself spiritually
every day you know it's like having breakfast
so that's how prayer is and you know the bible
always says pray without ceasing so continuously
every every time of the day so that we won't
be 10 times above our limitation. Sure. So I
say Christian. Yeah. But do you feel like now
as an adult, when you're making the choice to
still get up at five, that it actually doesn't
mean more now as an adult than when you were
as a kid? I don't. It's the same, you know, because
it's been part of my life. So I'm used to it.
If I'm sleeping like this, something will just
wake me up at that particular time. It's just
part of who you are. Yeah, it's been part of
me all my life. And we're always grateful. Sometimes
when me and my siblings gather together, maybe
for occasion or maybe Christmas or Easter season,
we always talk about our appearance because we
are orphans now. We always cherish what, you
know, the foundation that they have laid in our
life and we're following it and our children
are following it too. So, you know, even raising
my daughter, I was so strict with her because
I don't joke with prayer or anything pertaining
to Christian life. Yeah. Yeah. It's interesting
you say that with the, with, because the thing
is, it's like, I mean, I was born into a Muslim
family, and for the first 20 years of my life,
I was considered Muslim. But one of the things
that was difficult was the fact that, like, even
if I was saying my prayers, it was, you know,
I was just going through the motions. I was just
trying to memorize the Arabic words. I didn't
even know what a lot of it meant, and I didn't
have any desire, you know, and I was just going
through the motions. Now that I'm Christian,
you know, when I pray, I actually really mean
it. You know, I'm actually, it means something,
you know. It's not just going through the motions
or saying, like, you know, at the very least,
it's a reminder or something, you know. Like,
even the Lord's Prayer, you know, we always say
at church, you know, sometimes it's a good reminder,
yes, you know. You know, give me, you know, like,
yes, I've, you know, forgive me for my sins,
all this kind of stuff, you know. But I find,
yeah, it's now that I'm Christian, it's like,
like, the thing is, is with Islam, when you did
your prayers, it was always a scheduled time.
Sure. You know, it was always like you have to
call the prayer and then you do your prayers
and you have certain prayers and and whatnot
that you do for certain times and whatever, you
know, and it's very. very structured, but I,
as a Christian, I don't have that. It's so, you
know, if I, you know, if I make the time to say
a prayer, I actually mean it. And that's important.
And I feel like even as Christians, I think it's
important that whenever we're saying our prayers,
that we're actually meaning it and that it's
not, you're not just saying it well, because
we have to say, you know, like, you know, because
it. Because it's like, you know, if God can tell
if you're repentant, God can also tell if you
actually mean what you're praying. Yeah, for
sure. Yeah, I mean, for me, prayer, as I said,
is very personal, very often. And Elizabeth,
I was listening to you and thinking, oh, I'm
a parent and I don't do it. What am I doing here?
You don't force your kids to get up at 5 a .m.
No, I don't. We pray every night. And there used
to be a time when we would pray in the morning,
too. You know, things got early. The kids are
going off to leaving at 7 .15. So it just, I'm
like, oh, my goodness, maybe that's what I should
be doing. But personally, though, you're right.
Like, I think it's that space of relationship,
right, that is so important in the Christian
walk with God and in prayer. On the one hand,
the lack of imposition because it creates space
for relationship is so valuable in terms of being
able to address God as a father, as somebody
who cares. And at the same time, a lack of structure
can also sort of let you drift off. For sure.
You know, because it's not so imposed. Anyway,
so that I will say that that is my struggle on
an ongoing basis. The ability to both lean into
the relationship and at the same time, if I'm
not actually structuring it, it is easy. easy
to not spend the time intentionally praying.
So, yeah. And I mean, I get that, like, especially
if you're raising kids, you need to have that
structure. But I think it's like, I think it's
a sign of a successful Christian parent when,
you know, they they're adults and they still
want to continue the daily prayer. They still
want to do that. You know, it's like I always
think like, you know, a successful parent is,
you know, you go from. dragging your kids to
the church to them when they're old enough be
like no i'm going to church yeah you know yeah
or they go off to college okay let me find a
church you know yeah yeah yeah because they aren't
going to ask for righteousness so being in prayer
mode is the best will sure yeah it really shapes
all of the other practices all of the other pieces
of our faith yeah for sure Yeah. So then when
you think about prayer, what are some of the
parts that you feel like are really challenging?
We've talked about, you know, this trying to
make it a habit and, you know, the struggle,
I think, between we don't want it to be too rigid,
but maybe some structure is helpful sometimes.
Yeah. What else is challenging about prayer?
In my life, I don't really have find any challenging
about prayer because. I always create time for
myself in prayer. The only challenging issue
I have is, you know, like maybe when you are
in a restaurant and immediately you bow your
head like this, people start looking at you,
you know. Or maybe on my break time at work,
oh. the Christian lady is here, you know, all
those things. Sure. You don't want to, like,
stand out. So that's the only challenging part
I have in my life. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. I would
say that the place where I find challenge, I
think that sense of transcendence that we alluded
to earlier is the place where, and... where I
find it challenging. But I think the way it comes
out most is it's easy when I'm praying for myself,
my family. You know, those things are very concrete.
They're very new. It's hard to pray for the world.
Yeah. It's hard to even know what to pray for
or how to put that to God. And I do find that
challenging. That space, I just don't know, like,
is it worth praying? Like, you know, like, how
do you even begin to address the brokenness?
and hurt and pain and violence. In prayer, God
can give me a lot of peace when I'm praying within
my own little space. But when it feels like the
brokenness just goes on in so many painful ways,
it just feels unending. And there I really find
me wondering how to pray. That is a... space
where i find it very challenging to pray yeah
to know what to pray and to know how to pray
and to know what it you know what it's doing
or anything yeah yeah i really resonate with
that like there there are so many moments where
i'm like god it's just a mess yes i don't feel
like i have more words than that yeah yeah um
and so yeah it really depends on the concern
sure um how easy it is to pray or not yeah yeah
for sure and i think in some of those moments
there's this passage in scripture that talks
about like when we don't know what to pray yeah
that like god's spirit intercedes for us and
that like our groans are a kind of prayer yeah
um and i think that's really beautiful and like
helpful to be like I don't need words because
I can't pull them out of my head right now. Yeah,
I hadn't thought of that. God hears us in that.
That space of sorrow before God is itself a kind
of prayer. Yeah, I hadn't thought of that. Yeah,
I mean, it's definitely the daunting thing to
pray for all the brokenness because it's like,
you know, individuals on their own, it's like...
can be very very stubborn like for sure even
the whole idea of forgiveness yeah there'll be
people that will never forgive somebody and go
to their grave not forgiving yeah you know and
then you add in all this extra pain and hurt
and everything and back and forth it's like yeah
you know being redeemed and being trying to be
a good christian and coming to christianity i
mean this is things that it's not easy it's not
something that you know in some ways it feels
like a long shot like you know it's like it's
like again like most of my family either they
are not christians or they're muslims or you
know and it's like could some of them come to
jesus maybe but it's feels like a very long shot
sure it's a long time of prayer you know and
it's just sort of like you get to the point where
it's like I mean, it would be nice, but, you
know, you sometimes you don't want to pray for
big stuff like that because most likely the people
are going to disappoint you by not being that
way. Sure. Yeah. So it's easy. Sometimes I find
it's easy almost to like dismiss people because
then they can't hurt you. Sure. If they're already
a lost cause, well, then, you know, it's okay.
You know what I mean? Right. Sure. Versus if
you want to have hope and they keep letting you
down. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't give up.
Just continue praying. That's what I was going
to say. I think in a moment like that, you can
actually think of prayer as a diagnostic on your
own trust and release to God, you know. like
his timeline is not ours and the prayer can be
that space where you're praying for something,
especially if it's very concrete. Right. And
you're like, okay, I don't have the timeline
on this, but I keep going because that itself
is the act of trust that God has it. Even if
you don't see it now or in a month or in a year,
like, I don't know. There are so many stories
of people who have been praying 20 years before
someone came to Christ or, you know, and that's
pace where. Yeah. You both recognize the need,
but release the result to God. Right. And that's
hard. We want to see things now. So, but yeah.
Yeah. I mean, in a lot of ways, it's like the
whole, was it Jesus leaving the 99 for the one?
Right. You know, and you're like, okay, well,
is somebody in my family going to be the one?
Or is it going to be like some random person?
You know what I mean? Each of us is the one.
True. But, you know, as well, sometimes I feel
like, you know, it's easy to pray for somebody
if someone actually has, like, a prayer request,
you know, for, like, they need help with this
or whatever. But sometimes I also want to pray
more for me that I continue to be a good Christian.
Sure. And I think both are allowed. You know,
because it's like. OK, you could say try to save
everybody. But like at the same time, you want
to be written in the book of life. The last thing
you want is Jesus to say, depart from me. I never
knew you. Right. Sure. I want him to say, well
done, my good and faithful servant. Right. You
know, so I'm always so I'm kind of thinking like,
you know, I'm on this Christian journey. How
do I continue to be on the right path? You know,
because you can be Christian and then it's like.
You could still be doing all the wrong things
or being or not being Christlike or, you know.
Sure. Yeah. So we need we need to pray for ourselves
as much as we need to pray for other people.
And those I think that it all sort of feeds together.
Yeah. Yeah. So anything like when you think about
prayer, are there any moments that you're like
this prayer felt like really helpful or really
comforting or brought a lot of joy into my life?
Yeah. What? What has been the blessing of prayer,
I guess, for you? I will say that in times when
I've really struggled emotionally, and it has
had more of a personal, like whether it's in
a relationship or something, those deep prayers
and those moments, which are very different from
the sort of more regular prayers you pray, God
has two things happen. One is the space of surrender.
There's a genuine sense that this is in your
hands. But the receiving, aspect of that is that
place of peace where God has said, okay, I've
got this, you know, and, um, and you have both.
And those are those times that you really deepen
your trust that God's got you. Sure. Um, that
just in his hands, that among the mess, sometimes,
sometimes of your own creating, sometimes you've
contributed, sometimes you're just receiving
it. Um, there is that place where he is listening
and he. is there and he can be trusted with what
you've given to him and released and so that
place of surrender has been really important
for me to be to have an ongoing walk with jesus
because he's been so faithful in those moments
yeah yeah for sure yeah for other folks Prayer
has helped me to stay connected to God by strengthening
my faith and my relationship with God. It helps
me to meditate more, deepen my faith, intercede
for others. Prayer helps me as a spiritual, mental,
and emotional tool that connects me to higher
power. me to the presence of God where I get
peaceful feelings, you know, and encouragement,
you know, in time of maybe despair or any stress
going on. Like, after pouring my heart to God,
during stress, uncertainty, or grief, so it's...
still bring me back to a peaceful presence of
God, you know, where I can find peace. Even three
years ago, within five months apart, I lost my
senior brother and my senior sister. So it was
the Bible versus prayer and then... Other people
praying for me. The Stephen ministry that I'm
involved, they were praying for me. And members
of my family, too, they were praying. We all
gather. We connect on WhatsApp. We pray for each
other. We empower each other. So prayer has been
a tool. I'll call my faith. For sure. For sure.
Yeah, that's beautiful. I think both of you sharing
like, yeah, just in those really hard times,
God meets us there. For sure. Yeah. Yeah. I mean,
it's I don't think of necessarily comfort and
joy when I think of praying. Maybe because, again,
I'm not even a year into my Christian journey,
but. You know, it's not like a miserable thing
either. You know what I mean? It's not like,
oh, I got to pray. No, it's like, you know, I,
you know, I just, you know, try to pray and try
to like, I think for me, it's just always remembering
to try to, to, you know, praise God or so every
day, you know, try to remember him. Because I
feel like a lot of the times people in today's
society, I feel like even in North America, it's
like, you know. they it's not that they don't
believe in god they just choose to not incorporate
god in their life sure yeah yeah so maybe being
intentional about it is important yeah so on
that note as we are walking through this this
is the way journey and we're encouraging people
to think about how to practice these different
things so how to practice prayer so uh some practical
tips like things we've mentioned so far so this
model of act adoration, confession, thanksgiving,
supplication. I really love the different examples
that you brought up, Elizabeth, from scripture,
and then also sort of complementing that with
the Book of Common Prayer or with other prayers
that folks have written. Yeah, any other sort
of practical tips that you would want to end
us with? I would say begin small. Sure. Just
those, you know, simple addressing God, bringing
your concerns to Him, because If you're finding
prayer hard over time, recognizing he's there
in those small moments, you'll find it more easier.
So be patient with the process. You'll find it
easier to just consistently bring your prayer
to God. Yeah. And the other thing I would say
is that sometimes prayer is an expression of
faith, but sometimes it's an act of faith. Like,
you know, you may not feel. peaceful at the end
of it it may be a struggle to do go five minutes
of prayer even and at the same time you know
knowing that that is itself a step towards um
intentionally um addressing god as present is
um it'll get easier yeah for sure i definitely
agree with like keeping it simple at least for
at first you know i think it's just making sure
like There's so many things we need to make time
for in our lives. So just make time to even say
something simple. Like I try to say once a day,
you know, thank you, God, for another day of
life. You know, it's simple. Yeah. And it's prayer,
you know. And then I'd also say, you know, sometimes
maybe if you're not comfortable with it, you
know, you know, pray at night in in your room
in bed, like which is what Jesus said. in the
Sermon on the Mount, you know, or on a walk or
when you're driving to work, you know, turn off
the radio and just start, you know, you know,
just stuff like that. And then I think, again,
the big thing is whenever you pray, actually
mean it. Sure. Don't just pray to pray. Sure.
I actually mean it. Yeah, yeah. Just take that
time to get connected with your heart and your
emotions in that moment and honesty with God.
Even if we're reading someone else's prayers,
just to think about, okay, how does this ground
me right now? Yeah. And be honest about, like,
I think sometimes people find it hard to pray
when they think they have to pray in a certain
way. And I'm going to say, just be honest, honest
about your daily struggles, honest about what
you need, honest about. you know, anything to
recognize that God wants that relationship with
you and in wherever you are. And so that honesty
can allow for a space to begin to. Let God work
where you are. For sure. For sure. Yeah. Thank
you so much, folks. This has been a really rich
conversation to dive into what does prayer mean?
How does it work in our lives? And for those
who are watching or listening, I hope that you
have been able to find some helpful tips for
prayer. If you want to join us on this journey,
you can go to trinitystreetsville .org slash
this is the way to find some more resources about
prayer and all of these spiritual practices.
that we're gonna cover together over the next
few weeks. And we will see you again next week.