LONGING for Prayer

A new series, UNLIMITED ACCESS, will be a month long journey to help us grow in our understanding and practice of prayer. This won't be a series too heavy on the spiritual disciplines side or highlighting the prayer giants of our time (we'll introduce the discipline of prayer, and possibly look at spiritual disciplines in the future).
My goal is simple: that people (me included) would start praying (more and more deeply). I hope people will be inspired towards prayer, encouraged to pray, and understand prayer so they engage in it more.

I think Unlimited Access describes what people hope prayer to be: and ongoing relationship with God.

We started week #1 with understanding our LONGING for prayer, which is really routed in our longing for God. We discovered through scripture that God actually longs for us.

You can get the podcast of the talk at www.thewestsidegatehring.com; here are some quotes and scripture that were the basis for the talk (in order that I used them).

Now here is my secret, I tell it to you. With an openness of heart, that I doubt I shall ever achieve again. So I pray that you are in a quiet room as you hear these words. My secret is that I need God. That I am sick, and can no longer make it alone.

Douglad Coupland, Life After God

After twenty years of listening to the yearnings of people’s hearts, I am convinced that human beings have an inborn desire for God. Whether we are consciously religious or not, this desire is our deepest longing and most precious treasure.

Gerald C. May, in Phillip Yancey, Prayer

Of all the disciplines… prayer is the most central because it ushers us into perpetual communion with the Father.

Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

“a longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul.” (Proverbs 13:19)

“we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling.” (2 Corinthians 5:2)

Surely, if we are made in God’s own image, God will find a way to fulfill that deepest longing. Prayer is that way.

Yancey, Prayer

We today yearn for prayer and hide from form prayer. We are attracted to it and repelled by it. We believe prayer is something we should do, even we want to do; but it seems as if a chasm stands between us and actually praying. We experience the agony of prayerlessness.

Richard Foster, Prayer

The following Scripture and it's context/story (read before and after) gives us a glimpse of how much God longs for our presence, and his desire to communicate to us.
Genesis 3:8-9
Exodus 3:1-4
1 Samuel 3:7-10

(Notice that in each story God initiates, even when humanity has either failed, messed up, run away, or ignorant of Him.)

Today the heart of God is an open wound of love. He aches over our distance and preoccupation. He mourns that we do not draw near to him. He grieves that we have forgotten him. He weeps over our obsession with muchness and manyness. He longs for our presence.

Richard Foster, Prayer

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. (James 4:2)

Reflection/Prayer:

Dear God,

Lord, I long for you, but I find it hard to pray.
Open my eyes and heart to see how you much long for me.
I invite you to transform my desires so our relationship can grow deeper through prayer.

In Christ’s Name let this be so.

For more details on the series or podcasts: www.thewestsidegathering.com