The other night I sat down with my son as we talked about what he wanted to pray for that night. He shared with me all the things that were on his 9 year old heart and then as we started to pray, we closed our eyes and folded our hands. At one point, we both peaked one eye open at the same time and looked at each other and smiled. In the middle of the prayer he whispered, “is it OK to pray with your eyes open?!”
I had to laugh inside, but replied honestly, “I think it doesn’t really matter. God hears us either way.” As I thought about it more, I shared, “I think most of us close our eyes when we pray so we can do our best to focus on God and not be distracted.” It was the same kind of explanation Pastor Jason gave on Sunday for why we hold our hands…because that’s how we keep our hands to ourself as little kids!
But on Sunday, I started to wonder about this “posture” that we pray in, and how that can really kind of direct the energy that our physical body is putting into the prayer. Like Pastor Jason said, it doesn’t matter how we pray, we can pray in any physical position, but I do love to hear the way Jesus prayed…looking up to heaven.
“Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said, ‘...Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you…’” (John 17:1, CSB)
One way that I really love to pray is simply by walking or running. My mind is a busy one, so that kind of movement actually helps me connect with God. It’s as if I have a direct line with Him when I am moving and He is moving with me. I often picture Him going on runs with me, and it’s nice to have Him right there, just like a best friend would be.
But there are really a million different ways we can talk to Him, aren’t there? We could talk to Him on the way to work, while driving. We could share our heart over lunch with Him, as we sit and eat. We could picture Him pushing the grocery cart with us as we go up and down the aisles. We could physically bend down on our knees at night near our bed in a posture of humility. Even in the middle of a scary situation or even a scary conversation we could speak an inaudible “will you help me” to our Savior.
So I have to ask…how do you pray?
What is your “secret place”? Or maybe not so secret place that you regularly convene with the Father?
We know that Jesus regularly withdrew to lonely places to pray (Luke 5:16). Sometimes those lonely places were gardens, or out on the sea, or on a walk away from the crowds. At one point, the conversation even happened on the cross.
Yet no matter where Jesus was or the depth of His ministry, He withdrew because withdrawing to the Father was important and needed.
If prayer is a part of your life that feels spotty and inconsistent…can I make a small suggestion? It was something that was very helpful to me early on in my walk. Pair your prayer time with something that you already do every day. So if you already walk your dog every morning…make that your time to start praying. If you already have a routine for making your coffee, say a gentle “good morning” to the Lord first thing as you make it and let Him know what is on your heart. If you already have a 20 minute commute, take a few of those minutes to turn down the music and give your day and worries to Him.
There is power in these simple, small offerings at the altar of an incredibly loving God. These moments matter, because they are where you connect with the Savior who loves you so deeply. This is where the relationship is formed. He wants to hear from you. So how will you talk to Him?
I had to laugh inside, but replied honestly, “I think it doesn’t really matter. God hears us either way.” As I thought about it more, I shared, “I think most of us close our eyes when we pray so we can do our best to focus on God and not be distracted.” It was the same kind of explanation Pastor Jason gave on Sunday for why we hold our hands…because that’s how we keep our hands to ourself as little kids!
But on Sunday, I started to wonder about this “posture” that we pray in, and how that can really kind of direct the energy that our physical body is putting into the prayer. Like Pastor Jason said, it doesn’t matter how we pray, we can pray in any physical position, but I do love to hear the way Jesus prayed…looking up to heaven.
“Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said, ‘...Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you…’” (John 17:1, CSB)
One way that I really love to pray is simply by walking or running. My mind is a busy one, so that kind of movement actually helps me connect with God. It’s as if I have a direct line with Him when I am moving and He is moving with me. I often picture Him going on runs with me, and it’s nice to have Him right there, just like a best friend would be.
But there are really a million different ways we can talk to Him, aren’t there? We could talk to Him on the way to work, while driving. We could share our heart over lunch with Him, as we sit and eat. We could picture Him pushing the grocery cart with us as we go up and down the aisles. We could physically bend down on our knees at night near our bed in a posture of humility. Even in the middle of a scary situation or even a scary conversation we could speak an inaudible “will you help me” to our Savior.
So I have to ask…how do you pray?
What is your “secret place”? Or maybe not so secret place that you regularly convene with the Father?
We know that Jesus regularly withdrew to lonely places to pray (Luke 5:16). Sometimes those lonely places were gardens, or out on the sea, or on a walk away from the crowds. At one point, the conversation even happened on the cross.
Yet no matter where Jesus was or the depth of His ministry, He withdrew because withdrawing to the Father was important and needed.
If prayer is a part of your life that feels spotty and inconsistent…can I make a small suggestion? It was something that was very helpful to me early on in my walk. Pair your prayer time with something that you already do every day. So if you already walk your dog every morning…make that your time to start praying. If you already have a routine for making your coffee, say a gentle “good morning” to the Lord first thing as you make it and let Him know what is on your heart. If you already have a 20 minute commute, take a few of those minutes to turn down the music and give your day and worries to Him.
There is power in these simple, small offerings at the altar of an incredibly loving God. These moments matter, because they are where you connect with the Savior who loves you so deeply. This is where the relationship is formed. He wants to hear from you. So how will you talk to Him?
Erika Pizzo
Erika is an author of various books on the topics of faith, mental health, and victory in Christ. Erika lives with her husband, daughter, son, and their fluffy poodle in sunny Southern California. Her two favorite things are a visit to the beach and a chai latte in hand.