Conversation with one’s loving parent
Prayer is simply, yet profoundly, human communication with God. It is God’s invitation, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to keep lines of communication open between creature and creator.
The Biblical witness provides numerous examples of God responding to the faithful’s prayers — even to changing God’s intended course of action (e.g. Abraham intercedes for Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18:22-33, and, at Moses’ plea, God spares those who worship the golden calf in Exodus 32:11-14). Thus, prayer can be a kind of conversion experience for both
God and humankind. It is an act of stewardship and a way in which we join God as co-creators of the future. Stewards, after all, are appointed agents to supervise/manage/administer another’s property or affairs.
ELCA Lutherans believe that as God has and continues to speak intimately to us through
- Jesus
- Scripture
- the Sacraments
- the Holy Spirit
- his created order
- other people,
so it is through prayer that we may respond to, initiate and continue conversation with God.
Abba/Father
When Jesus’ disciples approached him asking, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples," (Luke 11:1) he responded, "When you pray, say, 'Abba'...."
In that single word, Jesus changed humankind’s understanding of prayer and our approach to God.
The word Abba can be translated by the familiar slang — daddy or papa. At the same time, Abba reflects much more of a loving, doting parent who wants to hear the thoughts and feelings of a child. In Jesus’ understanding, God is not to be seen as a distant, inapproachable judge waiting to condemn. Instead, we are invited to approach God in prayer like a child who speaks to a loving parent. And, like a loving parent who listens to a child, God hears us. Martin Luther wrote, "Here God would encourage us to believe that he is truly our Father and we are truly his children in order that we may approach him boldly and confidently in prayer, even as beloved children approach their dear father." (Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, introduction to The Lord’s Prayer)
In Jesus’ name
ELCA Lutherans direct their prayers to God in Jesus' name only. Jesus’ prayer instructions tell us that we need no other intermediary. We believe that, inspired by the Holy Spirit, our prayers move from our hearts to God’s, and that God truly listens and responds. Furthermore, to pray in Jesus' name means more than making sure our petitions reach the right destination. It means to pray as Jesus would - to ask that his longings and desires for the world become ours. Prayer in Jesus’ name is asking God to convert us more deeply into the mind and love of Christ. Jesus tells us in Luke 11:9-10 to persevere in our prayer, to "ask and it will be given you, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you." If we persevere — even when we experience what appears to be silence or rejection — Jesus’ promise is that God’s word will come to us as a response to our prayers. However, we know that response may not always be what we want or think we should hear. It may not come on our timetable, may be puzzling and even unwelcome sometimes. Even when we choose to tune out God’s response, we have Jesus’ promise that God has heard our prayers and will open doors that answer them — occasionally showing us paths beyond those we have imagined, leading to where we would not have ventured.
Private and corporate
ELCA Lutherans pray alone and with others. We give God thanks in prayer, and offer God our joys, hurts, wonderment, confusion, disappointment and all that we experience in this life. We offer our burdens and ask forgiveness, pray for daily needs, friends and loved ones, the poor and dispossessed, peace and prosperity, mission, and world leaders. We pray for ourselves and offer prayers of intercession for others. All these things and more are proper for daily prayers of silent devotion, as well as public prayers offered in full voice and joined with believers of every country and denomination.
Our prayers may be
- rambling or come in cries
- extemporaneous or written in books and beautifully phrased
- spoken or sung
- of our own creation or that of the worshiping community
- immediate in time, or centuries old — as ancient as the prayer Jesus taught (Luke 11:2-4, "The Lord’s Prayer")
When prayer is addressed to God and prayed from the depths of our hearts, it is communication with God.
Listening and acting
ELCA Lutherans believe that it is good to set aside times daily to pray privately, and that it is equally important to pray with others corporately in various contexts, including our homes and in worship. We believe that it is good to begin and end the day with prayer, offer prayers of thanksgiving and intercession at meals, and pray for guidance before making important decisions.
Because in prayer we are being held and guided by the Holy Spirit, we believe that our prayers take the form of actions. As our lives are to be interwoven with prayer and prayer interwoven in our lives, so a loving touch, a helping hand, an act of mercy; advocacy, witness or justice can come before God as fragrant incense (Psalm 141:2 "Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice." [The lifting of one’s hands, palms open toward the heavens, is the traditional ancient posture for prayer, and remains so for many Christians today.])
Our prayers — in silence, in the company of others or as actions — need to incorporate time to listen and meditate. Since we believe in prayer’s power to sustain and change life, and to influence God’s action in the world, it is good to surround our prayers with reflective listening so that we may discern God’s response. For ELCA Lutherans this praying, listening, discerning dialogue with God provides guidance for faithful living in Christ.