Luke
22:40
“Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”
Theologian
Karl Barth asserted that “To be a Christian and to pray are one and
the same thing. It is a need, a kind of breathing necessary to
life.” We may acknowledge that prayer is an important part of the
Christian life, but few of us treat it as if it were as essential and
as basic as breathing.
As
Jesus approached the final hours of his earthly life, confronting the
pain and rejection that lay ahead, he prayed – not a prayer of
serenity, not a prayer of peaceful encounter with God. He prayed in
a way that depleted him. He prayed in anguish and struggle. He
prayed so that he could be strengthened and revived. He prayed so
that he could complete the race set before him.
A
runner learns to control his or her breathing to be able to go the
distance. Deep, cleansing breaths help us release anxiety or control
our anger. Sobbing is actually a way of breathing that allows us to
let go of deep pain we carry within us.
What
if we understood our every breath as prayer? What if we recognized
that God’s presence is as close to us as our very breath? Barth
also said that “If we do not pray, we fail to realize we are in the
presence of God.”
Jesus
encouraged his disciples to pray. He wanted them to realize that
they were in the presence of God. Specifically, he told them (twice)
to pray that they may not come into the time of trial. He said this,
likely, knowing that they would indeed experience great trials –
danger, grief, fear – regardless of what or how they prayed. But
Jesus also knew that praying – before, during and after our times
of trial – connects us to the presence of God that strengthens,
revives and encourages us through each day of our lives.
As
you pray today, try to still your heart, mind, and body. Focus on
your breath. Imagine that you are breathing in God’s loving,
comforting presence that surrounds us and is within us. Let your
breathing be your prayer.
Amy
Morgan
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