Spare Me The Details: Thoughts on Prayer

A few years ago, a local church I used to be a part of was seeking a grant from a foundation to help with the construction of their building. They applied online, and after a long wait they were notified that the application had been received and they would be hearing from them.  Some more time went by, and the pastor received a phone call from the foundation. He was informed that the philanthropist who started the foundation was in the room and was listening.  The pastor then went into great detail about all the efforts that have been made, fundraising, the hurdles and hoops that needed to be jumped, the zoning process and all of the business that goes on with building.  The foundation rep told the pastor they would let him know in due time. Not long after that, the foundation rep called the pastor and told him the next time they call, and the gentleman philanthropist is in the room, please don't bore him with the details.  Not too terribly long after that, the church got the grant and they were able to proceed finishing construction. My facts may be a little off, but the theme of the story kind of says "spare me the details".  Make your requests known.

This story got me to thinking about how we pray and what we pray for.  I am reminded of the comedian who makes fun of the oratory prayers that call on the name of God. ALL the names of God. By the time they get through all of the names, God may very well be saying "you've call my name 16 times a minute for the past hour, WHAT DO YOU WANT?"  Or how about the person that turns their prayer time into a personal gossip session with God? As if God does not know what is going on.  It might seem comical, and it is to a certain extent. But there is more to prayer than what we see, or what we say.

I think of Prayer as spending time with God. Enjoying God. Sharing with God. Reading God's Word. Sitting in silence and letting the Holy Spirit do the talking. Giving Thanks. Bringing Requests.  Prayer is a not only a specific time, but it is a mindset.

My mother was quite a lady. Some called her eccentric, some called her crazy, and others loved her no matter what. I remember when I was young I would hear my mom talking. In all of her eccentricities, not only did I think she was talking to herself, so did my father, my brother, and others in the family and community.  Later on, I realized my mom took I Thessalonians 5:17 to heart. It is a pretty awesome verse: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."(ESV).

No matter what, my mom was joyful, thankful and prayerful. I now realize she was not talking to herself, she was taking the Bible literally, praying without ceasing.  No, she wasn't divulging every detail. She was walking and talking with God.  She knew that God has all the details worked out. She knew the answer was on the way, and that she might or might not like it at the time.  And in spite of that, there was always a reason to enjoy God. To talk to God. To let God speak to her.

We have this idea that we have to fill the air with words. The pastor at the church. The oratorical prayer. The listing. The details.  Sometimes I believe God just wants to spend time with us. No. Not sometimes. All the time. God wants to be a part of every aspect of our lives. That is worth repeating. God wants to be a part of EVERY aspect of our lives.  We don't need to give God all the details. God already knows. God only asks to make your requests known. Let God take care of the details.

He is the Great Philanthropist. He is the Great Provider. The Healer. The Father. And the list goes on.  Maybe it is time for me to quit being concerned with details and just sit back and relax in the presence of God. Jesus said, "where two or three are gathered, I am there in the midst".  But more than that, God tells us "those who seek me will find me".

Sometimes details are fine, and making requests known is fine, but what God really wants is for all of us to spend some time with Him. We can leave out the details. God has got it covered.