on Kyria.com
« Should Women Lead in the Church? | Main | Lost Leaders »
March 15, 2011Why I’m Giving Up Prayer for Lent
Three words say it all.
Tweet
I've been thinking a lot about Lent this year and wondering how best to walk through the next seven weeks. I know people who are giving up Twitter, chocolate, and a long list of self-indulgent or addictive activities and foods.
Yet as a leader, I recognize that one of the areas that I need to always continue to grow in is my dependence on God throughout ever day. In the hustle and bustle of activity and long list of demands, I need to be relying on God more intentionally.
As I've reflected, I've decided to give up prayer for Lent. Okay, maybe not all prayer, but lengthy prayers in my personal time with God. I recently heard a sermon by our friend, Jay, which highlighted the importance of praying simple but potent prayers. As I've been mulling over this concept, I realize how mindless I've become in my own prayer life. Yes, I feel free to express every desire, whim, ache and need to God--which is a good thing!--except that at times my prayers sound like a gushing four-year-old who talks in an eternal run on sentence. I realize that over time I've been increasingly unspecific and unattentive in my prayer life.
That's why I'm giving up prayer for Lent. Or at least long prayers. For the next 40 days, I'm committed to only offering God three word prayers.
Help me Lord. Heal oh Jesus. Give grace abundant. Grant strength now. Thank you, God.
I'm hopeful the discipline will help me be more thoughtful in my prayer, more strategic in the things I ask God, more focused on Jesus, more ready to listen, more prepared to unleash heartfelt worship and gratitude on Easter morning.
As a leader, how are you preparing your own heart during this season of Lent?
recent posts
Tags
- 9/11
- acceptance
- Amish
- anxiety
- anxiety & worry
- anxiety and worry
- authenticity
- Authority
- belonging
- Bible
- body image
- books
- Burdens
- Burnout
- busyness
- Busyness
- change
- church
- Church Health
- collaboration
- Commit
- community
- Complementarian
- Confession
- confession
- conflict
- Connecting
- connecting
- control
- creation
- Creativity
- critics
- culture
- current events
- Decision making
- Decisions
- delegating
- Delegating
- devotional
- Devotions
- Distractions
- downsizing
- Earth Day
- Easter
- ebooks
- effective
- Egalitarian
- environment
- equality
- failure
- faith
- family
- Fear
- follower
- forgiveness
- freedom
- friendship
- gender
- Gender
- gender roles
- Gifts
- gifts
- God
- God's Will
- God's will
- Good Friday
- grace
- Grace
- Green Bible
- growth
- health
- help
- honesty
- Honesty
- Hope
- hope
- humility
- Humility
- humor
- hunger
- hurricane
- Infertility
- isolation
- Jesus
- joy
- justice
- lay leaders
- leader
- Leaders
- leaders
- leadership
- Leadership
- Leavers
- Lent
- loneliness
- lonely
- memory
- Mentoring
- mentoring
- ministry
- Ministry
- miracles
- Mothers
- multitasking
- new
- New York City
- Old Testament
- Organization
- outreach
- over-commitment
- Pain
- Passion
- passion
- passions
- peace
- Poverty
- Prayer
- Preaching
- prevention
- Pride
- Relationships
- relaxing
- remember
- resources
- rest
- restlessness
- Resurrection
- retreat
- roles
- safety
- Satisfaction
- Selflessness
- service
- Service
- sex
- sex & sexuality
- sexual misconduct
- silent
- simplicity
- Sin
- sincerity
- Small Groups
- social justice
- social networking
- spiritual disciplines
- Spiritual Hunger
- Staff
- strength
- Strength
- teaching
- team building
- technology
- terror
- Thanks
- time management
- Time Management
- top ten
- Trust
- Twin Towers
- Understanding
- vacation
- vision
- Volunteers
- weakness
- Weakness
- wisdom
- women
- women's issues
- women's leadership
- women's ministry
- worship
Comments
Wow. Incredible. Giving up praying for lent? That is about the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
It is mysterious to me why this whole "giving up things for lent" thing has gotten so popular, since its roots are obviously in progressive justification and false understandings of sanctification.
Posted By: Steven | March 17, 2011 7:00 PM
I understand where you are coming from with this and I think what you are suggesting is to focus and center you.
Without much personal study and thinking on Jesus' 40 days in the desert before He began His public ministry, I purpose to make Lent truly meaningful or not observe it at all. Unless I've really gotten clear direction--I would rather not do anything formal without intentionality.
The 'only' thing I've done is commit to pray for a country in Europe--www.prayeurope.com every day of Lent. Also, to fill my mind with truly meaningful content and refrain from the frivolous...
Posted By: Abby | March 17, 2011 11:16 PM
Giving up something for Lent is a great way to help get your priorities back in order. For Lent, I've given up most shopping, particularly ebay, and am committed to an hour of prayer and devotion each day. Now, I do like what this author is saying. Too often we do the talking during prayer time and instruct God on what to do. Her three word prayers cut through the weeds and muck and basically surrender to God.
Posted By: P. | March 19, 2011 10:23 PM
What ever happened to not announcing a fast? Jesus commands us in Matt. 6: "Whenever you fast, don't be sad-faced like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so their fasting is obvious to people. I assure you: They've got their reward! But when you fast, put oil on your head, and wash your face, so that you don't show your fasting to people but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." I am SO SICK of people -- especially leaders -- announcing fasts. Obey Jesus and shut your mouth
Posted By: macayla | March 21, 2011 4:52 AM
I'm not sure why commenters feel the need to be disparaging in their response. When I read responses like that, I find it difficult to hear any respectful disagreements over the loud noise of insulting speech.
Margaret, I appreciate so much what you are saying here. I know I am like the four year old, so often, in my rambling, me-centered, spoiled prayers. The prayers you offer are ones of surrender, faith and trust in a God who knows our hearts and knows when to give us good things. I applaud you and would love to hear what you learn from the experience.
Posted By: Nicole | March 21, 2011 9:54 AM
What Nicole said.
Posted By: Anna | March 21, 2011 10:35 AM
Very interesting..., I too hope you write an update after Lent.
I once heard a speaker talk about how her life had been radically transformed by 2 very short prayers over a period of weeks:
"Lord, show me myself"
and
"Lord, show me yourself"
(Never quite dared be that pared down, but maybe I should try it...)
Posted By: Alison | March 22, 2011 11:36 AM
Yes. I so agree with you. I like this prayer...Have Mercy O God...what in the heck do I know!
Posted By: Heidi | March 22, 2011 1:07 PM
This is a total punch in the face! I am very much a "run-on pray-er" and you've awakened me to being more intentional. In fact, I set up a simple prayer around four words that I've completely blown past in the last few weeks.
Though I've already decided on something else as the focus of my Lenten discipline, I greatly appreciate the reminder of my lost focus.
Posted By: Jason Eichacker | March 23, 2011 9:59 PM
Margaret, what a great challenge. I initially was like "wuhhh?" when I first saw you were giving up prayer for Lent. But it really makes sense. How intentional ARE we in our relationship with God? We have specific things we say to our closest friends, spouses/significant others, and business associates, but often ramble incessantly with our eternal best friend. I think I've struggled in the past with the idea that you weren't REALLY praying, or REALLY being intentional in a relationship with God if the prayers weren't long, comprehensive and elaborate. That proved a stumbling block in my prayer life. It takes more reliance and greater confidence in the relationship to say more with less to, perhaps, speak more often, but more honestly. To believe that God's role in our lives isn't dependent on our adjectives. Great stuff; lots to ponder.
Posted By: Marcus Hathcock | March 24, 2011 3:56 PM
God Loves you. God WANTS to hear from you. Ramble, be short, be like a 4 year old, be very precise - or scattered God loves it all. Give up things that distract you from God at Lent - Keep your prayers going. When you think of what you are giving up your thoughts go to God. So you are praying ALL the time.
Posted By: Marcy | April 15, 2011 7:02 AM
I think I would rather give up something else for lent rather than prayer, whether it's long prayers or short. I believe God sees the heart, before He hears our words, and we know as parents, we love to hear our children express their love to us, we don't care how it's packaged! When our Lord and Master laid such stress on getting alone with His Father to pray, and Paul says in 1 Thes 5: "Pray without ceasing, " We need to be in the attitude of prayer all the time!And practicing God's presence, like Bro Lawrence should be the occupation of every follower of Jesus!
Posted By: Beth Havill | January 27, 2012 11:10 AM