Formal and Informal Prayers - a Metaphor
Some Christians believe that the right way to approach God in prayer is through a very formal prayer, often a written prayer. Others believe prayers should be spontaneous and express your own thoughts at a particular moment. I have had some excellent times with God both with written prayers, especially the Lord’s prayer and John 17, and with spontaneous prayer.
So how should we approach God? I would suggest the answer is “yes.” The metaphor I’d like to use is greeting cards. Let’s not worry about the occasion; any time when you’d like to let someone know you’re thinking of them will do. There are so many options in greeting cards. We have a card made by a child, one we may even find hard to read. A class might combine to make a card with everyone’s thoughts going into it. There are cards you can create with special software that allows you to express your thoughts enhanced by various pieces of clip art. You can buy cards that express precisely your thought, or you might buy a card that expressed part of your thought and write some more on it.
As a parent and grandparent, I know that I love any one of these cards. Each one has a special touch.
The child’s efforts show their love and care, no matter how crude the design and message might seem to anyone else. When I express my love to my heavenly father, even when “special” words fail me, I think he is pleased with that effort.
When the class gets together and prepares a card, individual thoughts are submerged in the group. I see this as much like the church praying together as when individuals express petitions of praise items and then someone closes.
A more formal card is like a written prayer. Either I select a prayer individually, or a worship leaders selects a prayer for the whole congregation that fits those particular circumstances. Just how formal depends on who is praying and what the situation is. The pastoral prayer combined with saying the Lord’s prayer is much like the professional greeting card with your own message written there as well.
In all cases, we express our love and care for our heavenly parent. We send our spiritual greeting card to God.
