I believe God answers prayer in four ways: (1) Yes (2) No (3) Wait (4) My grace is sufficient for you. Prayer, according to Dr. Robert Crouse, is being homesick for God.
St. Augustine wrote in his Confessions, “It is thou, O God, who dost rouse mankind to delight in praising thee, for thou has made us for thyself, and our hearts are restless, until they find their rest in thee.”
In the Epistle to the Romans 8:26, a loving expression of God’s providence, lovingkindness and care is described. The passage is about living for and in Christ, not prayer. Says St. Paul to the Romans, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you, (Romans 8:11, RSV). So the passage is as much about prayer as it is about making Christ Lord of one’s entire life. It is as much about prayer as it is about dying to one’s self and being raised up in the Spirit of Christ and living for and in to Christ. In this case, certainly one’s communion with Christ is so intimate that the Spirit leads the believer and does, at times, initiate, direct and respond to prayer.
Marjorie Thompson, Presbyterian minister and author writes, “Prayer involves freely entering a relationship of communication and communion with God, for the sake of knowledge, growth, and mutual enjoyment,” (34). Accordingly, the 1979 Book of Common Prayer (BCP), The Holy Eucharist: Rite II, the Celebrant prays, "Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen."
The revelation, given to each Christian, through faith alone, that God knows us and knows our innermost needs, anxieties and desires, is an expression of God’s majesty, not of God initiating prayer. We worship and praise God because he is God. Prayer is the quintessential expression of praise and laud. It is worship and we initiate it. In an Outline of the Faith, commonly called the Catechism, prayer is defined as, “responding to God, by thought and by deeds, with or without words.” Christian prayer is then defined as, “response of God the Father, through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit.”
One method for waiting and for listening to God is journaling. I’ve elected to write my journal entries on my blog and post them. It is a prayer exercise which really does afford me with a vivid opportunity for growth and contemplation. If another person wishes to comment or just read my thoughts, it is both encouraging and humbling.
Prayer is about thanksgiving and about total dependence on God. God is not my errand boy. He is not some celestial whipping boy for me to do with as I see fit and only acknowledging him when it is profitable or otherwise convenient. Prayer is humanity's opportunity to commune with God and to render all honor and glory to him. In faith, we can petition for others and for ourselves. But let us not forget, if Christ is Lord of our entire lives, then even if we kick and scream when a prayer is answered in a fashion we consider unsuitable, we also know God is in control and we should be grateful to him for it. God's providence, mercy and grace are expressions of an unconditional love which is absolutely unfathomable for any finite being, regardless of formal education, natural intuition or genuine brilliance. No one under this sun, never has been able to attain such a level of comprehension about God's will and purpose as to render the mystery of God's perfect plan solved and revealed in its entirety.
So, prayer is worship. Prayer is praise and adoration. Prayer is the ultimate expression of intimacy between creator and created. As created in the image of God, prayer is a magnet of sorts compelling us to move ever so closer and closer to him. There is no need to be homesick. Come home already, PRAY.
