“Arrow” Prayers
Let me share one last way to pray without ceasing. It’s using “arrow” prayers, which are prayers that you quickly fire off to God as needs arise.
Something happens, and you need help real quick… So you fire off a prayer in your soul: help Lord! And then you get to it.
Or something wonderful happens… and your heart leaps for joy! And so you fire off another arrow prayer: thank You Lord!!! And you enjoy it alongside Him.
Anne Lammott wrote: “Here are the two best prayers I know: help me help help me, and thank you thank you thank you.” Those are great little ‘arrow prayers’ to pray as life unfolds during the day.
Life is Messy
You see, Tevye in Fiddler of the Roof wanted to spend all his time in the synagogue studying the holy books with learned men. But God calls most of us to engage with people in the real world. Not to sit in ivory towers thinking.
And this means things are gonna get messy. And difficult. We’re gonna need to be praying arrow prayers, to keep a hold on our emotions as we respond to the world around us.
In fact do you remember when Jesus took Peter and John and James up the mountain, and he became transfigured before them? He turned white as can be and then Moses and Elijah appeared on the mountain and spoke with Him. Peter is so excited that he suggests they build a shelter there. Why go back down to the broken world, when you can hang with Jesus, Moses and Elijah on a mountain? But Jesus tells him no. And they go back down the mountain and head straight into a difficult situation with people everywhere and chaos all around.
God calls us down from our mountains and out of our temples and into communities of people that are flawed and frustrating. And without constant prayer our emotions, as we respond to the situations around us can get the better of us.
Who among us hasn’t left our quiet time feeling so peaceful, and after one conversation at work all our good intentions have flown out the window?
Who among us hasn’t left church feeling great after worship, and by the time you’re home you feel like you may as well not even have gone because you’re so frustrated with the potholes and the taxis?
Pray Before Responding
Arrow prayers have helped me in situations like this: the moment you feel that anger, that emotional response, take it to God in prayer. Bring it to Him. Respond after you’ve prayed your arrow prayer.
Not the other way – our habit is to respond, and ask God for forgiveness in prayer after! But remember friends, we are called to holiness. We are called to Christlikeness through the Spirit’s power.
Live prayerfully by firing off arrow prayers all the time. As situations come your way, as emotions well up within you, don’t respond and then pray. Pray a quick help me, and quick give me patience, and quick empower me, a quick give me courage, a quick give me strength. And then respond with His grace and strength.
