I met Crickett Keith at a writers’ conference several years ago. I’m delighted to share her thoughts on prayer with you. Her current Bible study On Bended Knee was released last month. If you comment on this post, your name will be entered in a drawing to win a free signed copy of her book.
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Prayer: A Ritual or a Relationship?
Are you satisfied with your prayer life?
To be honest, most of us struggle with prayer from time to time. I do. The busyness of life crowds out time alone with God in prayer. And when we do pray, we often tend to bring Him our list of things we want and then rush off to those urgent things waiting for our attention. Prayer becomes a ritual we go through out of a sense of obligation; but God wants a relationship with us, not a mechanical routine we check off our to-do list.
Several years ago, I was struggling in my prayer life. Yes, I was meeting with God, I was praying, but I was simply going through the motions of praying and just saying words. It soon became clear that my prayer life wasn’t an intimate time with Him, but a ritual I was going through out of obligation.
As I asked God to change my prayer life, He led me to start studying the prayers of men and women in the Bible. Those prayers became the basis for my new Bible study just released by Moody: On Bended Knee: Praying like Prophets, Warriors, and Kings. In this eight-week study, we look at the prayers of eight men and women in the Bible, learning how to pray as we “listen in” on their prayers. I wanted to look at the situation and heart behind the prayer. What motivated them to pray? How did they approach God? How did God answer? How did their relationship with God deepen as a result of their prayers?
It changed the way I pray and brought life back into my prayer life. Even as I’m going through this study again now, these prayers are drawing me into a deeper relationship with Him.
Recently, I did a heart inventory on my prayer life, and I encourage you to do the same. Take some time this week and ask yourself these questions:
- What is the motivation behind my prayers? Am I asking with pure motives or selfish motives?
- Am I praying for God’s will to be done or my will to be done?
- Am I praying for something that would glorify Him or that would glorify me?
- Am I confessing sinful attitudes that would hinder my prayers, or am I rationalizing my actions and attitudes?
- Is my prayer life a ritual or a relationship? An obligation or a necessity?
Prayer is more than just asking God for things; it’s about the relationship.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote in his book, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount:
“The highest picture that you can ever have of man is to look at him on his knees waiting upon God . . . Man is never greater than when he is there in communion and contact with God.”
Let’s go to our knees and seek to know God’s heart.
What have you found to be helpful in keeping your prayer life fresh and meaningful?
Crickett Keeth is the Women’s Ministry Director at First Evangelical Church in Memphis, Tennessee, where she writes and teaches the women’s Bible studies. She is the author of The Gift of Rest, Sumatra with the Seven Churches (co-authored with Sandra Glahn), and her newly released study from Moody, On Bended Knee. Crickett was on staff with Cru for ten years and is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary. In addition to teaching regularly at her own church, she also speaks at women’s conferences and retreats. Learn more at www.crickettkeeth.com and her interview on Cathy Baker’s blog at https://bit.ly/2X7blEJ and Crickett is a guest on a podcast www.comingaliveministries.com
Thank you, Marilyn, for the opportunity to share on your blog! I appreciate you!
My pleasure, Crickett. Prayer is an essential element in our lives. I am enjoying On Bended Knee. I admit I camped awhile on the first lesson–“hallowed”. I know there is more in store.
This Bible study sounds excellent, written by an author I already appreciate and on a topic with which I resonate. I hope I end up winning a copy!
Heather, I hope you do, too!
A well written article on such an important topic. It truly leads me to get on bended knee and talk with the One who knows my heart. Thank you!
Thank you, Deborah, for sharing!
Loved this post. Prayer has become a necessity in my life in the past few years, Prayers for much success with On Bended Knee.
Thank you, J.D. Appreciate your prayers. Thanks for sharing!
In this unexpected life transition, I’ve certainly been on my knees and prostrate seeking the Lord. This looks like a powerful study to enrich my faith!
Penney, yes it is a powerful study and gives new perspectives on passages on prayer we have read many times. Marilyn
Penney, I pray this study encourages you in your faith and strengthens your prayer life. Thank you for sharing!
I think that’s where we sometimes miss what prayer is, when we don’t look at it as a relationship with our Creator and Father. When it is not a ritual, it is a relationship.
Barbara, thank you for sharing!
This brings up some interesting questions about how and why we pray, for us or for Him. I just started a prayer journal to keep my prayer life more organized and to hold me more accountable. Sounds like a wonderful book.
Yes, Amber it is an excellent and thought provoking study. Thanks for sharing your comments. Marilyn
Amber, I try to bring up thought-provoking questions in this study to get us to really think through our prayers. Praying God will use this study to draw us all into a deeper relationship with HIm through prayer. Thank you for sharing!
I never tire of learning more of the backstory to your new book, Crickett. A “heart inventory” is on my calendar this week. Thank you!
Thanks, Cathy for adding to the conversation. Marilyn
Cathy, thank you for your encouragement throughout this journey! Appreciate you so much!
Thank you, Crickett, for sharing the thought-provoking questions. Writing my prayers in a journal helps me focus on the Lord, but it’s easy to get distracted by our want list. Your book looks amazing!
Thank you, Jeannie!
Prayer has to involve listening, not just asking for things. Yes! That is how it’s a relationship!
Jennifer, you are so right! We need to take time to listen to God through His Word and the prompting of His Spirit in order to develop the relationship deeper. Thank you for sharing!
So happy to have stumbled onto this author. This is a study I have been craving. Heart inventory is on my schedule.
Phyllis, praying God uses this study to deepen your prayer life! Thanks for sharing!