A Lenten Journey into Prayer

From Your Pastor, Kennetha J. Bigham-Tsai

February 20, 2007

“In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35

A Lenten Journey into Prayer

The Bible is always telling the story of Jesus going to a “deserted place” or to a “mountainside” or to the “other side” to pray. He regularly took such times away to walk and talk with God. What did he say during those times of prayer? Did he say anything? I wonder.

I am sure that Jesus simply had a conversation with God, because I have come to see prayer as conversation. Prayer is a conversation in which we share feelings, concerns, joys, needs and hopes with God. Prayer is a conversation in which we share whatever is on our minds and hearts with God.

But prayer is more than conversation as we typically understand it. In our culture, conversation almost always connotes talking. But if we really think about it, we realize that conversation also involves listening. Indeed, listening is the most important part of really authentic conversation.

Do you remember a time when you were trying to have a conversation with someone who was not listening to you? Either the person was busy formulating a response or distracted by something other than what you were saying. Do you remember how that felt?

Have you been that person, distracted and not listening yourself? I know that I have experienced both sides of this equation. I have been hurt when others have not listened to me and felt badly when I have failed to listen. And that’s why I know that listening is such an important part of really good conversation.

Of course we all know that God listens to us, for the Bible regularly presents us with a God who listens. For instance, Psalm 31 begins with the writer imploring God to, “Incline your ear to me.” It ends with the confident assurance that God has heard the prayer. “But you heard my supplications when I cried out to you for help,” (Psalm 31:22).

Throughout the Bible we find such affirmations that God listens to us. But I wonder do we listen to God? I think it so important to listen to God that each of our prayer sessions, during The Lenten Journey into Prayer, will include listening time—that is silence. We will spend time in silence listening for that still small voice speaking to us in love. I hope you can join us in this journey into prayer—this journey into listening and being listened to. We will be in our own “deserted place” in the Aldersgate Room every Sunday morning during Lent at 8:15 a.m.  

A Lenten Prayer for You:

Gracious God, meet us in the most intimate ways in our times of prayer. Hear what is upon our lips, but listen deeper for what is on our hearts. Helps us pray. Help us to listen to one another and to you. Hold us in the embrace of your love. Hold us and help us so that we will have the strength to hold and help each other as we journey together into prayer. Amen.