How do you
define the word “prayer?” My own
personal favorite definition of prayer comes from author James Houston who
quotes the early church father, Clement of Alexandria: “prayer is keeping
company with God.”
My parents
used to say to me all the time, “George, you’ll be known by the company you
keep.” I can’t say that I really
believed them until my best friend in high school got himself in trouble.”
He and I
were best buddies. Throughout junior
high and the first couple of years of high school we were inseparable. We both enjoyed sports and played on the same
teams. We liked the same style of
music. We both liked to laugh and joke
around. But then we grew apart. He began hanging out with guys who were into
drugs and that was something I just wasn’t going to do. Then one day a friend called with the bad
news – my best buddy had just been busted by some undercover policemen. The next day at school, it seemed that
everyone wanted to talk to me about my friend’s problem. When I protested, they said, “You were his
best friend, surely you knew what was going on.” From that incident I learned that it is
important to watch with whom you keep company.
Maybe
that’s why I like Clement’s definition of prayer the best: prayer is keeping
company with God. Such an attitude leads
us to look at prayer differently. It’s
not “have-to” but “want-to.” It’s
involving God in my life as I would a best friend – sharing concerns, relating
stories, confessing frustrations and shortcomings, offering words of praise and
thanks. To pray is to build upon the
relationship you have with your Heavenly Father.
What’s most
amazing is that God wants to have this relationship with you. God initiated this friendship at your
baptism. He came to you, though you had
nothing to offer, and made you His very own.
He cleaned you up with the washing of water in the Word; clothed you
with His royal robe of righteousness; promised to give you an inheritance that
will never rust or expire. If that’s not
enough, the Holy Spirit began a good work in you, creating and preserving a
trusting faith in the One who now calls you His child.
Think of
your best friend for a moment. Why is
that person so special to you? Is it
something you have in common? Is it because you can count on the advice and
counsel of this friend? That this friend will speak the truth to you, even when
it isn’t easy to listen? Is it because you can say things to this person that
you could never say or reveal to anyone else?
Is it because your best friend is willing to accept you just as you are?
Now think
of God the Father. Think of the God who
wants to keep company with you. He
speaks to you as you read His Word. God
the Father points to His Son as the author of your salvation. You hear His Word
of forgiveness. You embrace His counsel
for daily living. You discover that
encouraging Word that lifts you up from your feelings of despair and
depression.
In prayer, you can say whatever you
want to God – He’s all ears as you open up your heart to Him. He understands what your life is all about
and He cares for you – His compassion is greater than you can possibly
imagine. When it comes to time, God will
give you all the time you need. And you
have something in common – God the Father sent His only Son to be your Redeemer
from sin and eternal death. Through
faith, you have embraced God’s Son to be your Redeemer and Lord.
You can
keep no better company than living each day in an intimate relationship with
God. Listen to God. Open up the Bible
every day. And open your heart and mind to trust and believe in those timeless
truths that give life – now and for eternity.
And then, pray. Pray continually. Pray in faith. Pray with joy and thanksgiving. You have a Father who loves you, a Savior who
died and rose again for you, a Spirit who calls you to faith and assists you in
your prayer life before your Lord. What
a friendship to have! What company to
keep! Pray!
