PRAYER

The most universally practiced yet least understood of human experiences, prayer is one of the great mysteries of the Christian faith. Its simplest definition is communication with God. Yet so often we approach prayer like a one-way telephone conversation, forgetting that God also wants to speak to us. And how do we pray - on our knees or standing; silently or out loud; alone or with others; by rote or spontaneously? And does prayer really induce God to manipulate events or otherwise act on our behalf?

Although the Bible does not take up these or other questions directly, prayer appears on nearly every page as the very essense of a faith relationship with the living God. Simple enough for a child to understand and yet so profound we spend a lifetime plumbing its depths, prayer assumes that it is possible for us to have an intimate relationship with a God who hears, cares, and is able to act.

'... The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.' (James 5:16b)

'The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.' (Psalm 145:18)