I’ve been thinking about what it means to pray. In author Anne Lamott’s book, Help, Thanks, Wow, she recounts these three simple prayers that helped her through life’s challenges. Her writing summarizes how most of us pray in desperation as we cry out, God, please help me, such as when we’re dying of thirst in the deserts of our lives, when our bank accounts seem to be leaking, when change isn’t happening as we want, and when we’re walking on a tight rope in a stressful situation and need supernatural help.
Jesus in Gethsemane cried out a a longer version of the Help prayer of before his death on the cross. ” Abba, Father”, he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me!: I think these specific kinds of request prayers for Help come when our faith diminishes, when fear overshadows faith.
But there’s a higher way of prayer – the prayer of abiding, of starting our day in complete surrender to thy will be done, and making this the destination of our prayer life. It’s a prayer that’s like diving into an ocean of faith, of going into faith’s blissful heart, becoming one with its vastness, its silence, letting its tides and currents shift us toward divine destinations in all we do.
If we make abiding the only destination of our daily prayers, becoming one with God, worry, anxieties, plotting and planning dissolve into non-existence as we become vehicles for God’s creative force shaping our lives. Abiding seems the ultimate prayer, a divine doorway for manifestation of God’s unfolding will. It’s the prayer of becoming a branch on the vine where we co-create with God, blooming the fruits of the spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, blossoming the peace that surpasses all understanding.
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. – Jesus
Living the abiding prayer also brings promise of Jesus words, I came to give life—life that is full and good. It’s a way of life exemplifying the famous words of Julian of Norwich, All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.
This abiding prayer sounds so simple, but it can be difficult, and why we so often slip into desperate please of help for God’s provisions and protections, rather than simply making our daily prayer one of complete surrender and faith.
Why did even Jesus find abiding so difficult as he faced the cross? We might think Jesus could have surrendered to Thy Will, to his destiny of the cross, fearlessly facing his death without fear and despair, but with the faith he preached . We might think the shield of faith would have softened the blows of the whip’s lashes, numbing the physical pain of nails being driven through his hands and feet, and quenching his deathly thirst.
It was Jesus’ humanness. and our humanness. that causes loss of faith, that brings us cowering onto our knees with feeble Help prayers. Many of us often think we’re spiritually mature, until hard times when we realize we’re mere faith babies needing to pray simple prayers like Help, Thanks, Wow. I think of the disciples asking Jesus how they should pray, and Jesus giving them the ABC of prayers, The Our Father, a short cut sort of prayer simplifying the magnificence of God’s way.
I believe we no longer need elementary prayers because of robust faith. This is when we know we’re abiding, when we trust our daily bread is provided, know we’re already forgiven and forgive those who trespass against us, and that we’re already protected from our fears and worries. When we face our day, knowing we already stand on holy ground in the kingdom here on earth, and that God, the maker of our destiny provides all, we flourish like fields of orchards and all is well, in all manner of things are well.
The abiding prayer is living and moving and having our being in God.
Vivo autem iam non ego vivit vero in me Christus.
I live not I but Christ lives in me.- Galations 2:20
Amen.
May we pray simple prayers to live the prayer of abiding.
Will you join me this week in this prayer?
Yes! I see all of this as being rooted in our identity in who we are in Christ, too. When remembering who I am in Christ, made in His image, I am not anxious about making my world different. I like the idea of praying to be grafted securely in the vine and to be flourishing in the fruit of the Spirit given to us so we can be peaceful in all! Tis a beautiful way to start the day.
So well said Lynn! And yes, Tis a beautiful way to start the day! Love the ide of being ‘grafted’ securely..
Beautiful reminder of the importance of daily prayer. So inspiring.
Always blessed to hear this! Thanks Laura!
I love this post! I especially like the line, “The abiding prayer is living and moving and having our being in God.” So true!
thanks Whit for your comment and visit!
“I believe when we no longer need elementary rote prayers because of robust faith, when we trust our daily bread is provided, knowing we’re already forgiven and forgive those who trespass against us, and that we’re already protected, we’re already living the abiding prayer. ” Yes, this is so powerful for a picture of security and dwelling in God. I have found myself reading this post several times and love the depth of this concept. Abiding is not for the faint of heart and requires the true essence of hope and faith. It immediately drew me to the scripture in Luke 18…”When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith.”
thank you Crystal for your thougthful comment and really ‘drinking in’ the notion of living from the well of God’s love and spirit! I know once we feel the majesty of such a life, we always thirst for this union! So blessed by your comment and visit!
Wow Kathy. I think you have hit one something incredibly profound. SO many times, I have whispered those ‘help’ prayers… and I always thought it was grounded in my faith in the asking… but this assurance and trust in His Will is a new level of prayer.
Your point and perspective are so wise. The prayer of embracing His Presence in our heart and having confidence and peace in His purpose for our lives- trusting in the nourishment from the vine to bring forth the Spirit’s fruit and His Will WILL be done, is such a powerful approach to the throne.
This blessed me today, my dear friend. Thank you!
Oh such a beautiful reflecion on abiding and you bring such grace to the message! Your words always bless Christine, and
enhance God’s word!
“Abiding seems the ultimate prayer, a divine doorway for the manifestation of God’s unfolding will.”
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. – Jesus
Ahhhh ….yes….dear Kathy!!! Such profound wisdom in your contemplative writing on “abiding”. Indeed, “the prayer of abiding” is one of the most difficult things a human can do. It requires a deep level of surrender AND letting go of “my will”. Letting go of my will requires an ego crushing that is BOTH important and grandly difficult. It requires an incredible amount of humility followed by courage and faith to follow “our true calling” that God wishes for us. Following God’s calling often pushes us out of our comfort zone AND at the same time provides us a sense of great satisfaction. Learning to be comfortable “out of my comfort zone” is another gift of “abiding prayer”. I don’t know where I ever got the impression that live as a semi retired person would be on “cruise control”. Must have been images of 1960s television or our elders just hiding the difficulties of life from us when we were young. I have learned that “cruise control” will never be a part of my life and if I do not join you to “live the prayer of abiding”, I will live the rest of my days in misery. It is a great gift to know that there are other souls out there who understand the beauty of abiding.
Theresa so well articulated and a wonderful adjunct to the blog and reflection on abiding. Love your thoughts on the
fallacy of retirement being a person on ‘cruise control’! What a beautiful awareness that misery can ultimately come
when we aren’t able to surrender our wills.