(“Form and Freedom in Prayer”)^1**

(Matthew 6:9-13, NASU)

“Teach me, my God and King,,

In all things Thee to see,

And what I do in anything,

To do it as for Thee.”¹

(A) THE THIRD DIMENSION OF PRAYER

(1) For the purpose of this series, prayer has been defined as “a believer’s communication with God.”¹² This definition suggests prayer consists of three basic elements – “God”, who is the recipient¹³ – “the believer”, who is the source¹⁴ – and “communication”, which consists of the words we use when we pray.¹⁵ Pratt says: “without God, no one listens – without the believer, no one speaks – and without communication nothing is said.”¹³

(2) Up to this point we’ve examined the first two elements of prayer – namely, God and the believer. Tonight we’re ready to take our first look at the third dimension of prayer in hopes of learning how to better express ourselves. How can we talk with God more effectively? Are there ways to convey our thoughts and attitudes to Him more fully”¹

(3) One of the fundamental elements of good communication in prayer is a proper balance between form and freedom. Unfortunately, believers don’t agree on what that balance is. For example, one may say, “I think it’s insincere to read a prayer. Prayer is supposed to come from the heart, not a piece of paper.” However, another believer may counter, “When I take time to plan my prayers, they’re so much better than many of the senseless ramblings I hear.”¹

(4) This controversy raises an important question: how much forethought should we give to the arrangement and content of our prayers?¹ Should we simply say whatever comes to mind – or should we plan what we are going to say? Our answer may depend on the kind of Christian upbringing we had – but one principle remains constant – going to extremes in either direction will severely hinder our prayers. Hence, we need to find ways to balance form and freedom in our communication with God.²

(B) FREEDOM IN PRAYER²

(1) Many Christians value freedom when they pray. Although they may find general guidelines helpful, they tend to avoid preconceived patterns and/or formulas as much as possible – giving a high priority to spontaneous and informal prayers instead. This view has some good points.²

(2) For one thing, God has revealed Himself to us in ways that encourage us to speak informally with Him.²

(a) For example, the Bible often portrays God as our Father. Jesus taught us to pray:

“Our Father who is in heaven,

(Matthew 6:9, NASU).

Although the title “Father” implies authority, power, and respect, it also speaks of God’s personal interest in us as His children. Hence, Paul said,

“… you are sons, (and) God has sent forth the Spirit of

(Galatians 4:6, NASU).²

(b) The Scriptures also teach us that God is our friend. James, for example, said Abraham “was called the friend of God” (James 2:23, NASU). Along these same lines, Jesus told His disciples:²

Because God is our Father and our Friend, there are times when it’s appropriate for us to talk with Him in an informal, spontaneous manner.³

(c) Children occasionally take time to think through what they want to say to their parents – especially when something really important is involved, like a bad report card or a special request. Generally, though, children talk freely and/or spontaneously with their Mom and Dad – especially in a healthy home where love and affection are in ample supply.³

Likewise, since our heavenly Father has demonstrated His love for us through Christ (see Romans 5:8), planned prayers aren’t always necessary. Indeed, the intimate relationship we have with Him forms a solid basis for speaking with Him freely and informally when we pray.³

(d) Beyond this, formal language sometimes makes us feel like there’s a barrier between us and God. Using “thees” and “thous”, for example – or reciting memorized prayers can stymie genuine communication. As Pratt says: “the ball and chain of formalism can make it difficult for some Christians to experience a vibrant relationship with their heavenly Father.”³

Happily, though, we can remove some of these weights by being more spontaneous when we pray. Pratt writes: “Several Christians I know were brought up in formal, liturgical churches. Through constant exposure, they lost sight of the benefits offered by their traditional style of worship. In college, they began to attend a church that was very informal, where, as you might expect, they discovered a heightened sense of joy in worship and prayer. Informal, conversational prayer soon became one of their favorite Christian activities.”³

For some, a constant diet of formality is like spiritual poison.³ When that happens, informality can help renew our awareness of God as our Father and Friend.⁴

(3) While informality has its advantages, it also has at least two serious problems.⁴

(a) First, an emphasis on freedom can unintentionally lead to a dead formalism of its own. Unless we’re paying attention to the content of our prayers, they tend to become repetitious. We fall into fixed patterns, saying the same phrases again and again – often without even realizing it. Eventually, we become so predictable others can anticipate, almost word for word, what we’re going to say.⁴

These prayer habits are hard to break.⁴ When we don’t think about what we’re going to say, we usually end up using many of the same phrases again and again – thereby rendering them meaningless (see Matthew 6:7a). In this instance, freedom actually makes us prisoners of habits that rob us of the wonder of talking with God. Hence, we need to guard against an informality that leads to a formalism of its own.⁴

(b) A second difficulty comes to light when we compare many of our spontaneous prayers with those found in the Bible. Pratt notes that although the Bible contains examples of spontaneity (see Nehemiah 2:4-5), that’s not the hallmark of most biblical prayers. The Psalms for example, show a deep concern for structure and content. Indeed, most psalms follow recurring patterns.⁵

For example, Psalm Four and Five⁵ both begin with an invocation, followed by a lament, a petition, and finally a statement of confidence (see Psalm 4:1-8; 5:1-12). These are examples of what’s known as “Psalms of Lament.” In Old Testament times, God’s people used laments whenever they were undergoing suffering. In that sense, then, their prayers were not spontaneous – rather, they followed a prescribed pattern, even though they were adapted to the immediate circumstances.⁵

Psalm Thirty and Thirty-Two reveal another type of structure.⁵ These two psalms begin with an introductory summary, followed by a call to praise, a narrative account, and finally a view toward the future. These two psalms follow a preset pattern known as “Narrative Praise”.⁵

Some Psalms indicate prayers may be planned right down to the last letter. For instance, when David finished preparing for the temple, he prayed:⁵

“Blessed are You, O Lord

(I Chronicles 29:10-13, NASU).

The interesting thing about this prayer is that it’s a blend of quotations from several different psalms – as was the prayer Solomon prayed at the dedication of the temple, where he quoted extensively from Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Two (II Chronicles 6:41-42, NASU).

In the New Testament, Jesus quoted directly from Psalm Twenty-Two as He hung on the cross, saying:

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

(Matthew 27:46c; Psalm 22:1a).

In these instances, the words of various Psalms were used as guides for prayer. Those who used them did so in a sincere and genuine way – but the words were written many years before, and then adapted to a contemporary situation.⁶

(c) Consequently, we must not overestimate the value of freedom in prayer. Not only does it hinder our ability to break with unconscious habits – it also puts us at odds with many biblical examples. Freedom when we pray can be a good thing – but it must also be balanced by a proper appreciation for form.⁶

(C) FORM IN PRAYER⁶

(1) While some Christians value freedom in prayer, others find that forethought makes their communication with God more fruitful.⁶

(a) This outlook is often based on the conviction that God is worthy of careful preparation on the part of those who speak with Him. As our Creator and Redeemer, God deserves to be treated with the highest respect, in part because His majesty is awe-inspiring.⁷ Hence David wrote:

“Bless the Lord, O my soul,

(Psalm 103:1-5, NASU).

The angels stand in awe of God’s holiness. Hence, the Seraphim praise Him day and night, saying:

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts,

(Isaiah 6:3, NASU; Revelation 4:8 NASU).

While God is our friend, He’s also our King. Hence, there are times when planning what we are going to say to Him is quite appropriate.⁷

(b) At one time or another we’ve all been in situations where we felt the need to plan what we should say. I do it when I preach – Caren Blackstone did it when she went to Santa Fe to speak against the Governor’s Pre-K proposal. If we take such care when addressing human beings, how much more appropriate it is to think ahead when addressing Almighty God. To be sure, we don’t need to plan all our prayers⁷ – at the same time, however, we shouldn’t always be “shooting from the hip” (as it were) when we pray.

(2) Forethought in prayer has many benefits.⁸

(a) For one thing, following a prepared outline can help us keep our prayers balanced. That’s actually one of the purposes of the Lord’s Prayer (see Matthew 6:9-13). Hence, when we’re tempted to spend all our time focusing on our needs, we need to remember Jesus taught us to pray:

“Our Father who is in heaven,

(Matthew 6:9-10, NASU).

When we think God doesn’t care about the ordinary details of life, we need to remember Jesus taught us to pray:

“Give us this day our daily bread”

(Matthew 6:11, NASU).

When we don’t take time to confess our sins, we need to remember Jesus taught us to pray:

“… forgive us our debts,

(Matthew 6:12, NASU).

When we forget to pray for strength to face the various test of life, we need to remember Jesus taught us to pray:

“And do not lead us into temptation,

(Matthew 6:13, NASU).

The Lord’s Prayer is a biblical illustration of how a planned outline can produce well-balanced communication with our heavenly Father.⁸

(b) Secondly, planning out the actual words of a prayer can also be beneficial. The prayers found in the Psalms, for example, have been highly treasured by the church because of their beauty and depth. The psalmists were skilled writers, whom God used to show us how to pray.⁸ The words of Psalm Eighty-Four, for example, portray a careful and creative use of language in prayer:

“How lovely is your dwelling place,

(Psalm 84:1-3, NIV).

By using words from the Psalms and/or other prayers found in the Bible we can enrich the beauty and value of our own communication with God.⁹

(c) Beyond this, many collections of prayers outside of Scripture can be useful. Though they are obviously not inspired, they can still help us express ourselves to our God and Savior more effectively.⁹

Pratt writes: “I have a number of friends raised in informal churches who find using prayer books or hymnals adds a wonderful dimension to their communication with God. The sense of awe and reverence found in the words and phrases of these collections is timeless. When we use resources like these, we are being led in prayer by some of the great teachers and leaders of the church. Just as a well-composed song can inspire and lift our hearts, so well-written prayers can move our souls to fuller communication with God.”⁹

(3) While planned prayers have much to commend their use, they also present several dangers that need to be avoided.⁹

(a) One is the ease with which prewritten prayers can be read with insincerity.⁹ Most Christians know how easy it is to repeat the Lord’s Prayer without thinking. Likewise, no matter how beautifully prepared a prayer may be, it’s worthless unless we make the words our own. A prepared prayer must become the prayer of our heart.¹⁰

(b) Another danger with planned prayers is their inability to meet the immediate needs of the moment. Pratt writes: “Several years ago, I had prepared an opening prayer for Sunday worship. I had written it to express the joy and wonder of worshipping God. Just before the service I received word a well-known church member had died of cancer the night before. In light of what happened, I had to discard my prepared prayer. Instead, I prayed extemporaneously about the immediate sorrow and mourning the church was going through. In that instance, it would have been a mistake to continue with what I had planned after the situation had changed so drastically.”¹⁰

The same is true whenever we pray – prepared prayers are valuable, but they can also be “out of tune” with what we’re going through at the time.¹⁰

(c) The prayers found in the Psalms reflect a variety of circumstances, because no one form or prepared prayer can deal with every situation God’s people face. Psalm Seven, for instance, is concerned with false accusations:

“O Lord my God, if I have done this,

(Psalm 7:3-5, NASU).

Psalm Eighty-Three is concerned with enemy attacks:

“They have said, ‘Come, and let us wipe them out

(Psalm 83:4, NASU).

On the other hand, Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Four is a celebration of national importance:¹⁰

“If the LORD had not been on our side –

(Psalm 124:1-3, NIV).¹¹

Believers of old did not simply repeat the words of others, even if they didn’t match their own situation. They knew the importance of offering prayers that fit the circumstances of the moment.¹¹

(d) So, form, like freedom, has both advantages and disadvantages. Using prepared prayers may help us keep a balance in our communication with God that will greatly please Him. Yet, there’s also the danger of falling victim to insincerity and irrelevance if we’re not vigilant to pray from the heart and/or in the light of our current circumstances.¹¹

(D) CONCLUSION AND SUMMARY

(1) If both form and freedom have advantages and disadvantages, how can we improve our communication with God? In a word, the answer is “variety”. Most of us tend to think one kind of prayer is better than the other. Unfortunately, these personal preferences can get out of hand. Pratt says: “I’ve heard Christians laugh at a fellow believer’s prayer because it did not measure up to the refinement of their written prayers. I’ve also heard others mock their neighbors for reading their prayers from a book. We need to avoid both of these attitudes.”¹¹

(2) One of the best ways to keep our prayers vibrant and meaningful is to vary between spontaneity and formality. We need to be able to use written prayers and/or even write our own prayers at times. Yet, we also need to know the freedom of spontaneous encounters with God, never forgetting He hears us because of His grace rather than the simplicity or eloquence of our words. As the Lord enables us to develop the ability to pray in both ways, we will find our communication with Him growing in depth and wonder.¹¹

**THIS MESSAGE IS BASED ALMOST ENTIRELY ON THE TENTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOK BY RICHARD PRATT, JR. ENTITLED, “PRAY WITH YOUR EYES OPEN.” IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE CONGREGATION AT WESTMINSTER PCA IN ALAMOGORDO, NM ON APRIL 10^TH FOR THEIR INSTRUCTION AND EDIFICATION, AS PART OF THE CHURCH’S EMPHASIS ON PRAYER IN 2005. A DISCUSSION OF THE QUESTIONS FOUND AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER FOLLOWED. THE CONGREGATION WAS FULLY AWARE OF WHERE THE MATERIAL CAME FROM, AND MANY HAVE PURCHASED A COPY OF THE BOOK FOR THEIR OWN USE.