When Harry Potter studies spell making at Hogwarts, he has to get the words right. Incantations don’t work unless pronounced precisely. Yet, for all the effort of perfecting this art, the young wizard or witch harnesses real power. No wonder “magic” has seduced human imagination from ancient folklore to modern day fantasy.
Prayer is a whole other phenomenon. There are no “right words” in prayer because the power of prayer has nothing to do with manipulation. Scripture promises us that God hears our prayers, not that the Lord necessarily grants them. The efficacy of prayer rests in connecting us to the divine will. We are acknowledging not only our need for God’s greater power, but also the desirability of the Lord’s wisdom in giving us aid that will lead to the best outcomes.
God invites us to pray without pressure – no worrying about “what to say.” Even among our closest loved ones no one can “read your mind,” but God knows before we even “think” a word what we need (Matthew 6:32).
Of course, the devil’s advocate will ask, if God already knows our minds, and also reserves the right to answer according to divine will, what does it matter whether we pray or not?
Boiled down, all prayers can probably fit in one of three buckets: “Help me,” “Forgive me,” and “Thank you.” These sentiments simply can’t be expressed in the vacuum of our own mind. The effort of voicing our worries and fears, confessing our regrets, and acknowledging our joys begs for the ear of the Other.
Prayer remains the primary way in which we grow our relationship with the Lord. Unlike our human relationships, how well we express ourselves doesn’t enter into the picture with God. All that matters here is our willingness to open our hearts.
We never have to wait for the right words, but we do need to engage in the conversation.
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