I have had an on again/off again relationship with prayer over the course of my life. Not that there have been long seasons where I haven’t prayed at all (though, there have been some points where that’s true for me), just that there have been long seasons of my life where my prayers weren’t directed in the appropriate places. I guess you could say that I prayed selfishly and narrowly. This past year, I have been experiencing a revival in my prayer life!
Last week we began a sermon series at White Oak called The Practice of Prayer. Jesus practiced the habit of prayer regularly. If we are to be apprentices to Jesus (being formed by him for the sake of others), then prayer is a critical foundation rhythm for us, too. As it turns out, we may not know or practice as much about prayer as we might think we know or do.
What is the purpose of prayer? Really. What is it? It seems that the answer to the question can be boiled down to two key ideas. As pastor and author Timothy Keller puts is, The purpose of our prayers are sometimes communion-centered and sometimes Kingdom-centered. Communion-centered prayer is the desire for our hearts to be connected to God’s. The goal is personal communion with God. Here, we want to be present with God and spend time with him. This may be worship, praise, or thanksgiving for who God is and celebration of his closeness with us. Kingdom-centered prayer focuses more on God’s movement in the world. Here, we offer supplication. This is where we offer our requests to God asking for his Kingdom to come.
Throughout the book of Psalms --the Bible’s prayer book—we see David’s heart and life formed in both ways of praying. David prayed both communion-centered and Kingdom-centered prayers.
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, my soul.2 I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live… He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—he remains faithful forever. -Ps. 146:1-2, 6
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. -Ps. 63:1-3
You see language from David like this all throughout the Psalms. David is praising and recognizing God in worship. He also desires his heart to communion closely with God.
Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?... 12 Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. -Ps. 10:1, 12
Again, throughout David’s prayers, he soaks his cheeks and his bed with tears crying out to God with requests for comfort, rescue, and justice. He’s asking for God’s Kingdom to reign.
We can learn from David’s spiritual formation that prayer seems to be a mysterious and beautiful tapestry woven from both types of thread. Both communion-centered and Kingdom-centered prayer is the very essence of prayer. After all, isn’t that how Jesus taught his apprentices to pray?
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name…” (communion-centered). “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” (Kingdom-centered).
What is the purpose of prayer? It’s both communion and Kingdom-centered. We pray, as Timothy Keller says, for both conversation and encounter. A good and thoughtful definition for prayer is: Seeking personal communion with God and seeking the advance of his Kingdom in hearts and in the world.
As you seek for the Spirit to form you into the image of Christ for the sake of others, I encourage you to take a look at your prayer life. What makes up your approach to God? What makes up your content? What is your desire in prayer? May we, who are apprentices to the Master, pray for communion with our Heavenly Dad and desire for this Kingdom to penetrate our hearts and the hearts of the world!
Prayerfully,
Nathan
Nathan Hinkle
Lead Pastor