Hello,
And welcome to Methods,
An exploration in guided prayer and meditation.
This week we are exploring the theme of petitionary prayer.
The traditional understanding of petitionary prayer can be defined as talking to God and asking God to love in a specific manner in which God was not doing so beforehand.
They could be offered on a small and personal scale for oneself or for others,
Or they may involve requests on a larger scale that concern changing undesirable circumstances within society,
Or indeed the world as a whole.
But is that the most effective manner to pray for loved ones who are hurting,
Desperate,
And in need of the grace of God?
Is that the best way to pray for loved ones' physical ailments,
Economic hurdles,
Or societal ills such as racism,
Homophobia,
Violence,
Poverty,
And other systemic injustices?
Petitionary prayer,
Trying to cajole God to increase God's love and healing for others,
Can paradoxically contribute to more suffering in the world.
How,
You might ask?
Because sometimes it subtly relinquishes our responsibility to be God's healing hands and saving feet to those around us.
Taking our cue from the book of James,
What good is it if we have prayer but no deeds,
If we see brothers or sisters in Christ without clothes or food,
And do nothing more than pray that God will give them peace and keep them warm and well-fed?
What good is it if we pray for God to take care of the homeless but don't tangibly attend to their physical needs?
Additionally,
Our prayers make God look like an unfair and stingy autocrat who can instantly snap his fingers to make things happen,
Who sometimes does and many times,
In this view of prayer,
Chooses not to.
But is it that God chooses not to stop evil or needless suffering in our lives,
Or that God,
Because God is loving,
Uncontrolled,
And non-coercive,
Simply can't?
Can we engage in petitionary prayer that is more effective,
Less harmful,
And doesn't make God look bad?
Keeping in mind God's love is uncontrolled,
That God is good all the time and not just some of the time,
And the reality that God is non-coercive and is maximally loving to the extent that God can,
And God asks us to join her in what she is doing in the world,
May we prayerfully conspire with God.
The English word conspire comes from the Latin word conspirare,
Which literally means to breathe together,
And figuratively to act in harmony toward a common end.
Conspiring prayer is a form of prayer where we create space in our busy lives to align our hearts with God's heart,
Where our spirit and God's spirit breathe harmoniously together,
And where we plot together to subversively overcome evil with acts of love and goodness.
This subversive,
Sacred practice calls forth thankful,
Open-hearted listeners who humbly petition and partner with God to become divine echoes committed to bringing forth shalom in the world.
Let us take a moment to conspire with God for someone who is in need.
Start by settling into a comfortable position and allow your eyes to close or keep them open with a softened gaze.
Begin by taking several long,
Slow,
Deep breaths,
Breathing in fully and exhaling fully.
Breathe in and breathe out.
Breathe in and breathe out.
Allow your breath to find its own natural rhythm.
Breathe in and breathe out.
Consider the sacredness of this very moment.
Consent and surrender to God's loving presence.
Now let us commune with God.
God,
Bring to mind someone that I know that is in need of your tangible grace and love.
It could be someone I deeply care about or someone I struggle to care about that is sick,
Hurting or in need.
I wait on you.
Reveal them to me.
Someone who is sick,
Hurting or in need of your love and grace.
Now that I have them in mind,
Give me a glimpse of what it must be like to be them in their woundedness and frailty.
Let me see past the outer shell and think about what it is like to suffer internally the way they do.
In this moment,
God,
Fill me with your compassion for them.
Thank you for your tender love toward them,
God.
I know you are doing all you can to heal,
Save and restore.
It is not that you can instantly do something about their situation and are simply choosing not to.
But because your love is uncontrolling and you do not force your way into their hearts,
Their cells in their body,
Their lives,
Your loving and healing desire cannot immediately come to pass.
God open up my heart wide.
Give me ears to hear.
I am listening to your voice.
I am now going to pray something beautifully dangerous.
I conspire with you now and ask for your wisdom and creativity to know how to partner with you to love this person.
Share with me an image,
A picture,
Or give me an idea of how I can practically embody your care and deep affection for them.
I wait upon you now.
Thank you,
God of mercy and fierce love,
That I can pray with you instead of to you.
Extend to me the compassion,
Power,
And courage to love this person in the way you brought to my heart today.
This person you love more than I can imagine.
Amen.
Amen.
