Prayer

I recently was reading a response from a leader of an organization that works with youth. This man was responding to a comment form another organization that said he was misleading youth into believing certain types of prayer were "Christian", when in actuality they were pagan practices that should never be accepted by Christians. That he was decieving these young followers into believing they were being influenced by the Holy Spirit, but in actuality were opening themselves up to demons, and to being influenced by the enemy(Satan). After his response there were a large amount of posts from various people in support of and against what this organization and this man were doing.

I'm not making a judgement as to whether or not this man and this organization are decieving or misleading youth, but simply sharing some thoughts of mine that came out of reading that.

In January, I posted a blog entitled "Labyrinth" (you won't see it now, because after I read some of the comments after the above response from the man and oragnization I mentioned before, I changed the name of it to Life's Maze). I began to spend time in prayer for this organization and for those this organization influences, and asking God, whether or not this organization was deceiving people. And really struggling with what I had read from some of those who were against this organization.

One such thing spoken about were labyrinths, and this person gave a link to an article that spelled out how Christians should stay as far away from labyrinths, and the idea behind them because they are pagan in origin, therefore, God wouldn't want His followers taking part in anything like a prayer labyrinth(hence, why I felt I should change the title of my blog, fearful of leading some to believe I was decieving people. I haven't changed it, probably because I want to point it out to those reading this blog). Other things mentioned were yoga, stretching, deep breathing prayers, and meditative prayers(i.e. repeating a bible verse or a prayer many times).

I was struggling with what to make of this, when I remembered something a recent favorite author of mine said in a book I read of his (Dutch Sheets). Forgive me if I get this wrong, but this is how I took what I read in part of his book Watchman Prayer. Sheets had been talking about how we can work together with God in prayer, and how prayer comes out of a relationship with Him, it is a conversation with him. A time in which we sometimes speak, and sometimes listen to what He has to say. He wrote about how God loves us so much that he desires to be near us all the time, and waits eagerly for us to come before him in prayer and intercession.

If this is the case, then why do we need to put a name to how we spend our time with God. If we are praying in the spirit, and he leads us to pray repeatedly for a certain thing, does that mean we are now accomplishing a meditative prayer, as some identify it? If we are walking down a path, and sensing God walking alongside us, and leading us down different paths on a journey closer to him, does that mean we are walking along a prayer labyrinth? If we are sitting on the ground stretching after a run, and praying for the spirit to fill us and surround us, are we actually practicing a christian version of Yoga?

I have no idea what the answers to these questions are, but I think that by asking them, and trying to figure out if we are actually "doing it right" while we pray and spend time with God puts Him in a box of our making. Isn't saying that "these are different types of prayer, and they are done this way" limiting what God can do in our lives?

What if you are praying one night, and the Spirit directs your prayer into something you have never experienced before, are you going to say "Wait, I've not heard a name for what this is, so therefore, it cannot be from God." or are you going to say "Wow, You continually amaze me, God, and a life of prayer to you is never going to be boring!"

May God begin to work in your life in new, exciting, marvelous, wonderful, fulfilling ways as He seeks out intimacy with you.

Yes, God wants to share intimacy with you. He wants to be your king, your father, your friend, and most importantly, the LOVER of your soul!

1 Corinthians 13 gives a glimpse of how God loves YOU. Take Care.