“If you’re not careful, prayer can become another kind of activity. The whole business about prayer comes from that one great text of the Eastern Orthodox icon, as Christ presents the book to the people with blessing and command: ‘Come to me all who travail and are heavy laden and I will give your rest.’ The beloved disciple is invited to lean back on the shoulder of Christ, as Christ rests in the bosom of the Father. All this is given—it’s sheer gift. But unless you do that, prayer can look like another damned activity.” Roland Wall

Perhaps there is no topic so popular among religious people as that of “How to Pray.” I don’t want to even try to imagine the trees that have been killed for the sake of a topic that is quite simple—but made complex. So many books written by those who consider themselves to be “Prayer Warriors” (an oxymoron if there ever WAS one) and “teaching” others to do or be the same.

During my years as a pastor I was often-times queried about the matter. I guess people assumed that because I was a member of the clergy I either had special insight or a closer connection with the divine that allowed me to discern more accurately how to do these sorts of things the “right” way or to get results. Not true. In fact I probably was worse at praying than the “regular” person who doesn’t put on such a pretentious show. To take it a step further, sometimes even pastors didn’t have a clue about prayer. Back to the topic.

I have migrated away from the idea that prayer is some kind of formulaic faith equation that connects us with God. Nor is it an activity to place on my “to do” list. I’ve also abandoned the Lutheran teaching that prayer is a one way conversation in which we tell God whatever we want to—preferable to do it with words previously written by a hero of faith, like David in the psalms or of course Luther himself—and then we hope that God hears us and decides to answer us in some way that is usually a complete mystery.

Prayer, I’ve come to conclude with the help of Wall and others, is NOT an activity, nor a devotional exercise, nor any action at all. In fact it has little if anything to do with what we DO. It is, as I wrote last week, quietly being near to the heartbeat of God. I like that. A lot! Seldom do I consciously listen to my heartbeat, nor do I DO something to cause my heart to beat. And yet my heart IS beating and keeping me alive. Prayer is simply being vivified by that life-giving heart beat of God.

It is reclining on the breast of Jesus and listening. Not doing, just being. This is not a NEW practice. It’s ancient. It’s what John the beloved disciple did, and maybe what Jesus did in the boat when He was sleeping, and probably what Jonah did in the fish, and Jacob on the stone and maybe Ruth at the feet of Boaz.

Resting and reclining. Listening and occasionally murmuring. That’s prayer.