(Ir)religiosity

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Prayer does not change things

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Rather, to borrow from Oswald Chambers, prayer changes me, altering the very fabric of my being and empowering me to better participate in the divine life.  The goal is to radically restructure my life as an ongoing act of prayer, a continual outworking of my wrestling with the timeless Augustinian question “what do I love when I love my God?”, and a faithful response to the Event that lays claim to me.

That is the nucleus of the post I wrote yesterday on prayer for Open Table Theology.  It should be published sometime later this month.

In the meantime, add the feed to your reader and join the in dialogical experiment!

Written by Blake Huggins

July 3rd, 2009 at 7:30 am

Posted in Uncategorized

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  • http://clergyspirit.org/ Scott

    Amen. That actually makes a great little sermon or series. Prayer doesn't change things- prayer changes people- people change things. Very nice post- thanks! Peace, bro.

  • http://existentialpunk.com/ Existential Punk

    Blake, this is so what i needed to read about prayer. BUT, how does one actually pray. i feel like my prayers are too simple, superficial and lack the right focus. i feel like i am throwing past at the wall and waiting to see what sticks. Also, G-D seems so random to me at times and often i feel like i am a deist in my view of G-D. Your thoughts?

    Thanks so much for your ALWAYS insightful and thought-provoking posts!

    EP

  • http://existentialpunk.com/ Existential Punk

    i meant to say throwing pasta on the wall!

  • http://blakehuggins.com Blake Huggins

    I hope my longer post will help when it is published — because I am
    wanting to say that I stand with you, that I don't know at times to
    whom I am praying or what my prayers should consist of. But I still
    continue even though I don't know. Then I also want to say that there
    is no such thing as a simply or superficial prayer because our prayers
    are deeply personal and idiosyncratic so there's no one-size-fits-all
    way of doing it. You do want is comfortable for you and what you feel
    helps you to work toward deeper transformation.

    That may have just been a really elaborate way of not answering your
    question. :)

    Know that you are not alone. I too, struggle with those same issues.

  • http://clergyspirit.org/ Scott

    Amen. That actually makes a great little sermon or series. Prayer doesn't change things- prayer changes people- people change things. Very nice post- thanks! Peace, bro.

  • http://existentialpunk.com/ Existential Punk

    Blake, this is so what i needed to read about prayer. BUT, how does one actually pray. i feel like my prayers are too simple, superficial and lack the right focus. i feel like i am throwing past at the wall and waiting to see what sticks. Also, G-D seems so random to me at times and often i feel like i am a deist in my view of G-D. Your thoughts?

    Thanks so much for your ALWAYS insightful and thought-provoking posts!

    EP

  • http://existentialpunk.com/ Existential Punk

    i meant to say throwing pasta on the wall!

  • http://blakehuggins.com Blake Huggins

    I hope my longer post will help when it is published — because I am
    wanting to say that I stand with you, that I don't know at times to
    whom I am praying or what my prayers should consist of. But I still
    continue even though I don't know. Then I also want to say that there
    is no such thing as a simply or superficial prayer because our prayers
    are deeply personal and idiosyncratic so there's no one-size-fits-all
    way of doing it. You do want is comfortable for you and what you feel
    helps you to work toward deeper transformation.

    That may have just been a really elaborate way of not answering your
    question. :)

    Know that you are not alone. I too, struggle with those same issues.

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  • Big Birrd

    I will pray for you Sir, may the Lord have mercey on your soul