"But
you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special
possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of
darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are
the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received
mercy." -1 Peter 2:9-10
I wanted
to pray the New Year in this evening so, groaning, I got up to turn off the
Time Square special on NBC and turn up the lights (so that I wouldn't be
tempted to 'sleep' the New Year in). Letting go a great big sigh as I turned
back to the couch to pray I had a thought. Why do we regard prayer as such a
burden? I've been taught to think of it as something that I must do - to the
point that, when I don't, I suffer from a lot of guilt (which, consequently,
makes me put it off even longer). Even at it's best and most celebrated prayer
I’ve thought of as an emergency help line. Prayer Hotline, This is God, what
is the nature of your emergency?
I would
really like to know how it was that we have been able to twist the truth of
prayer around into something that is so... ceremonial. It really isn't. Prayer
isn't just another chore to be accomplished somewhere between making dinner and
washing the dishes and twice on Sundays. Prayer is one of our highest and most
treasured privileges. In the Old Testament, it was an enormous honor for a
priest to be chosen to even approach the Holy of Holies once in his lifetime.
We are sanctified
and encouraged to approach the throne room of the Most High God, heads held
high, and... tell Him about our day. Our frustrations, our joys, our hopes and
our dreams. This wasn't always the case, it is by God's mercy alone that we are
justified and that, surely, is something to celebrate!
This year,
I am going to pray not because I have to but because I can.
