Q: My Bible study leader believes that prayer should follow a specific format. Yet I have heard that the best way to pray is to talk to God as you would to a friend. Which is correct? A: As you study the different philosophies on prayer, I think you will find that each has something of value to offer. I grew up in a religious tradition which emphasized rote prayers. While these repetitive refrains did not hold any real meaning for me, I have grown to appreciate the value of structuring some of my prayers in specific ways. While on the road for the morning commute, I often spend meaningful time with God by moving through a series of meditative themes in prayer. Selecting a classical station on the radio, I allow the music to help suggest the details as I flow in a reflective prayer. I begin by praising God. Looking out the windshield at the early morning light, listening to baroque music, I may envision the majesty of God, his white beard flowing, his finger touching the sky with blazes of gold and cinnamon. Often, I focus on the majesty and grandeur of God for the duration of one song, pausing with the announcer's messages, anxious to continue my prayer. For the second phase of my prayer, I thank God for what He has given me. My thoughts often turn to family—my husband, sons, sisters, brother, parents, nieces, nephews. I think of my job, material blessings, God's continuing sustenance. Next, my prayers turn to the needs of others. I think of church members who are out of work, friends engaged in some personal struggle, neighbors suddenly taken ill. I allow my thoughts to linger, my prayers to flow as I connect with God in supplication for His continued presence and guidance in their lives. My thoughts turn next to my own needs. Having praised and thanked God and interceded for others, I pour out the desires of my own heart. Holding nothing back, I share my fears, my wants, describe the tangible and intangible things that can bring me joy. Finally, I close with a sincere soul-searching, asking God's forgiveness for the hurt I may have caused others, the lack of faith which resulted in self-trust rather than God-trust. I do not find such a format to be restraining or artificial. Rather, it helps me to focus as I commune with God. You might want to try something similar in your own prayer life. Praise God, Thank God, Pray for Others, Make your Requests, Ask for Forgiveness. On the other hand, there are times when it is difficult to move through the stages of a structured prayer. I am grateful that the God I serve is not particular when it comes to listening to my petitions. Last year, just one month from the closing date on our new home in Florida, we found ourselves in Massachusetts with no buyer for the home we needed to sell in order to make the transition. Not only that, my car chose that moment to give up on its air-conditioning system. In need of every penny for the move, I commuted back and forth to work in Massachusetts painfully aware that my mode of transportation would be perfectly useless in Florida in July. My mind raced through details of the move, sought frantically for answers. Mentally burdened, I found it impossible to pray in any kind of a structured mode. In fact, one morning I woke up picturing my own hands rattling the gates of heaven, crying, "Help! Help!" For the next few days that vision comprised my entire prayer life. I started my day crying out, "Help! Help!" I saw the vision of my own hands, anxious, frantic, shaking the very foundations of heaven as I commuted to work. Between appointments as a school principal I cried out, "Help! Help!" An eloquent prayer? Not at all. Yet it kept me connected, moved me close to the One who could supply my need. After a few days, I found my mental image changing, saw myself as peaceful as a child, sleeping on the ground while a hurricane raged around me. My prayer changed from frantic pleas to a wordless acknowledgement that God was in control. Is there one right way to pray? I don't think so. At times, we are clear, coherent, and focused. At others, we can only cry out. The good news is, God hears it all. Dr. Sandra Doran is an associate superintendent of education for the Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. She posts her monthly columns on her web site. Read them on-line at www.tagnet.org/powerlines.

Sandra Finley Doran, Ed.D. 2028 Bluff Oak St. Apopka, FL 32712-3945 (407) 889-5524 email powerlines@juno.com

Copyright © 2001..2003 by PowerLines, All rights reserved.