The Prepositions of Prayer

It’s been a long time, but somewhere in those first few years of my education, I came across - prepositions. Prepositions, I was told, are the “hardware” of a language. Like fasteners and hinges and door knobs, sentences wouldn’t hang together without them. Good literature just doesn’t happen without prepositions. As a student, they were tough to figure out. As a literacy tutor and an EAL instructor on occasion, they can be pretty tough to teach as well.

But lately I have been thinking that a good preposition or two can be “the nails you hang ideas on”. This year, I have decided to hang my prayer life on a few well chosen ones. After beginning with appropriate praise, I am asking myself, “What do I want God to do THROUGH me?” What do I want God to do FOR me? What do I want God to do IN me?”

Through me? How do I want God to use me today? In some cases, these may be specific requests – “As I speak to this group of people, help use my words to make Your purposes clear.” In others, they may be general. “I am not sure all you intend to accomplish today, but I want to be a part of it.”

For me? These are the “our daily bread” requests. What are my personal needs and what needs am I asking God to meet for others as well? I may need a good friend when I don’t have one. I may need a job. I may need safety.

In me? These are what I might refer to as those “sanctifying” requests – those calls for character and integrity. When you look at the prayers of the Apostle Paul, by my calculations MOST of his prayers were of the IN variety – for himself and for those he ministered to. (1 Thess. 5:23, 24; 2 Thess. 1:3-12; 2 Thess. 3:9-11; Colossians 1:9-14; Ephesians 3:14-21). This is where I ask God to change me – inside – in the deepest places of my soul and personality.
So, the next we bump into one another if I ask you, “How are you doing with your prepositions?” – you’ll know what I mean. Feel free to ask me the same.

I Think, Therefore I Blog

I have to admit that I never saw myself writing a blog. I grew up in an age when diaries were small books with locks, written by girls, and hidden in a drawer. No one that I knew kept a journal, and they all took the “say your prayers in secret” portion of the Sermon on the Mount very seriously. When blogs arrived on the scene, I thought they were for techno geeks and teenagers. So, it looks like I was wrong – about journals and blogs. I have kept several journals going throughout my adult life – but I do tend to hide them. The line between the personal and the pastoral is a very thin one. But now, it’s time to throw off those inhibitions and join the 21st century. And since I turn 55 in just a few days, I figure starting a blog is a much easier way to celebrate that milestone than competing in a Triathlon or climbing Everest. Of course, it didn’t hurt that I also came across a good article by John Piper that “motivated” me. (I grew up in the DUTY generation – believing that you “ought” to do something when you can no longer argue against it and it is clearly seen to be a virtuous thing). That article was entitled, 6 Reasons Pastors Should Blog (you can read the entire article on, where else, John's blog at http://bit.ly/gnhp6). By the time I got to reason number two, I was convinced. So, I am writing today to let you know – I have arrived. Now, you can follow me on Twitter - http://bit.ly/xUf0Z. Old dogs CAN learn new tricks it seems.