What keeps many Christians from praying in public and, frankly, from praying at all? There are a lot of things that keep people from praying. For example, some people don’t believe God really hears and answers prayers. If they were honest about how they feel, those folks would say, “Nothing is going to happen, so why should we pray?”
Sometimes when believers listen to their pastor or other church leaders pray, they are impressed with the beautiful prayers they hear and are convinced they will never be able to pray like that.
Most Christians need to be taught how to pray. If they didn’t grow up in a Christian home or church where they learned to pray, they need a mentor to teach them. How do we do that? Let me suggest we teach people how the KISS method is effective. Keep It Simple, Saints. Some of the most effective prayers can be simple prayers. They don’t include any flowery King James language. The prayer doesn’t address God with “Thees and Thous.” They simply but powerfully express the plea for help that is needed at the moment.
Recently, while rereading the book of Numbers, I came across a situation where Moses prayed for his sister Miriam. She and Aaron had criticized Moses for his marriage to a Cushite woman. They asserted that God spoke to and through them just as he had to and through Moses. God met with Moses and his siblings and punished Miriam by striking her with leprosy. Brother Moses cried out to God on her behalf. What impressed me was the simplicity of his prayer: “O God, please heal her—please.” (Numbers 12:13, ESV) God did heal Miriam after he sent her into seven days of isolation. But don’t miss this: he heard and answered Moses’ very simple prayer.
Are there any other examples of simple prayers in the Bible? As we just completed Passion Week and Easter, we are reminded of Jesus’ prayers, some of which were very simple but heartfelt and effective.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus spent time with the Father settling the issue of the Father’s will concerning the cross: “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39, ESV) In the English translation, this is only twenty-one words, less than eight seconds of prayer. He repeated his prayer, submitting to the will of the Father two more times, but his prayer actually got shorter and simpler, not longer.
On the cross, Jesus prayed for those who crucified him, “And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'” (Luke 23:34a) Ten words, but what powerful words they were. Jesus expressed compassion and forgiveness for those men who were literally killing him.
Christian leaders, mentors, disciplers, whatever title or position we may have, can and should be teaching others to pray. A part of that would be to pray simple but effective prayers. Of course, we do that by teaching lessons on prayer, but we also teach through example. We can and should teach simplicity in prayer by modeling simplicity in prayer. Pray with passion and cry out to God, but remember how our brother Moses prayed for his sister, “O God, please heal her—please.”
Pray with confidence for our disciple-makers around the world to empower their people to share Jesus with courage.
Author: Rik Danielsen