Motivations to prayer

I am in a new Connect Group (aka bible study) at my church this year, as things reshuffled and the one I was in last year ceased to exist. We also created a geographic group, for those of us south of the Harbour in my area. I am excited about this, as several group members actually live in walking distance of my house, and I think this will help foster more interaction outside of the actual connect group night, simply because it’s so much easier to do. Two weeks in and a few of us have already had dinner in a local pub.

Last week we started on the book of Philippians, and I love Philippians (I actually went through it for my personal project during the time that I was over at L’Abri too). Incidentally, if you like Philippians and you like Don Carson, you should read Basics for Believers, which is essentially a little commentary on Philippians. It’s good.

One of the questions during the evening was “what motivates you to pray?”. I don’t know about anyone else, but I have several tapes playing in my head at any given time (and sometimes, as Larry Crabb, the Christian psychologist, says, you have to “change the tape”) and one of those tapes is the poetry mix tape. Someone will say something, and it will remind me of that poem I read one time, and I get lost for a few seconds. So, back to the bible study question, this was not really where it was headed, but I was reminded of this poetic excerpt from Tennyson’s Idylls of the King, which I find very stirring and convicting to prayer all at once. It’s King Arthur speaking, as he glides away wounded in the barge, not certain of whether he will live or die.

Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer

Than this world dreams of. Wherefore, let thy voice

Rise like a fountain for me night and day.

For what are men better than sheep or goats

That nourish a blind life within the brain,

If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer

Both for themselves and those who call them friend?

For so the whole round earth is every way

Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.

Isn't that rousing? Something about it lights my fire ... (Incidentally, I've written more about 'Why Pray' in this article over at the AFES Websalt, if you want a bit more bible and a little less poetry.)