2016 has been a year where I’ve prayed for extraordinary prayer within my life, within the Church, and also throughout the entire world. I’ve been encouraged as God has shown me people and places where He’s answering that prayer. Yet, I witness many times where prayer is offered quickly, and in a perfunctory manner, that is anything but extraordinary. In fact, I sometimes find myself deeply desiring to see a new “ordinary” established within the Church, within the lives of many other Christ-followers, and even within my own life. Here’s what I mean...
“Let's say a quick prayer before we...”
It’s a phrase I’ve been guilty of using, and it’s one I frequently hear prior to church meetings, meals, and other activities. But let’s think about what we’re really communicating.
1). It gives a “tip of the hat” to God’s presence, but nothing more. We acknowledge God’s presence by offering the brief prayer, but it typically goes no further than that. God isn’t invited to participate in the time (which, if we’re honest, is His to begin with), nor is there any desire for Him to lead or control the time (we want to dictate that ourselves). Is there any wonder why ch ...
