What is Christian Spirituality?
The fact that God is our Father is radical, but that is what we find Jesus repeating time and time again in Matthew 6 – in-fact in the whole of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7) Jesus insists on its centrality to our understanding of true Christian Spirituality. But what is true spirituality?
There is a close and intimate bond between a Father and his offspring; a sense of continuity that runs to a son or daughter. It could be physical (shape of nose, colour of eyes) similar characteristics (whether learn of inherited) or in attitudes.
The same is true of God the Father.
At the point of conversion, when we are adopted as sons God gives us his Spirit to live in us. We now know him. Not know about him, not know him from a distance – Jesus came that we might know God.
Jeremiah 9v24-25
“ Let not the wise man gloat in his wisdom, or the mighty man in his might, or the rich man in his riches. Let them boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who is just and righteous, whose love is unfailing, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken! ”
We need to get this – grasp the enormity of it. It’s huge!
What a claim, that you and I can know, truly know God – the one who spoke and made the universe, who controls and holds all things together. Not a delusion, not wishful thinking. Reality.
To know this God; to life a life knowing Him as Father, living the life of the Spirit where that family likeness is to the fore - this is true Spirituality. It is living a conversation with God.
And that life will not leave you unchanged, just as bumping the central reservation in you car will not leave it unmarked. A skirmish with the God of the universe, and a subsequent relationship with Him will leave certain characteristic marks that are evidence of the change that has occurred.
But you can’t always see them - in fact, more often than not you don’t see them, but they are there never-the-less.
Our dog has a little electronic chip under the skin in the scruff of his neck. If he ever gets lost or runs away people can discover who he belongs too. It is not easily visible, but providing you have the correct equipment to look for it, everything you need to know is there.
As children of God there are a number of these marks that Jesus mentions in Matthew 6 (see other talks in this series), the second of which is prayer (Matt 6:5-13).
It’s obvious really isn’t it, a relationship with the Father leads to a life long conversation with him as we hear him speaking to us, primarily and most importantly in the Bible, and as we speak to him in prayer.
But before we get the impression that Christian Spirituality is about doing the right things – praying, giving, forgiving etc – let us hear Jesus right. Not all prayer is spiritual prayer.
Marks of Spirituality - 2 false positives
Jesus introduces us to 2 people who know shed loads about prayer, but nothing about spiritual prayer – the hypocrite and babbler, the egotist and the chanter……
The hypocrite.
You know him as soon as you see him. He doesn’t shy away from lots of attention in prayer – far from it. He flaunts it.
Visibility and creating a scene are the name of the game. Jesus tells us, he loves praying so long as everyone can see. And that is the issue.
He wants to be seen to be spiritual. But Jesus encourages us to see the hypocrisy through the sham piety. He is not spiritual, he is hollow and spiritless – and is getting all the praise he will ever get whilst God turns a deaf ear. He…will…not…listen!
The Babbler.
She thinks that words are the key to prayer. Saying the right words, or babbling repetitively will somehow convince God to answer – because if she does it right, God will have to answer.
Recognise her?
This is more common that we think – even in our churches. If I sound intelligent, use the right words, start my prayer right and finish correctly then I am more likely to get a hearing from God. But again, it smacks of hollow, fake spirituality. God sees no marks of his children and refuses to bless.
So what are the characteristics of truly spiritual prayer?
True marks of spiritual prayer.
1. Secret Prayer
The secret of prayer is that prayer must be secret.
Jesus says in v6 - “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly.
His point doesn't seem to be that prayer in groups is wrong, but that we need time with the Father which is secret when we can unburden our hearts.
For prayer to be secret Jesus says we need solitude (go away by yourself)
We also need a sense of sacrifice (shut the door behind you).
For us to pray we need space, away from the distraction of life.
You know the feeling don’t you. You start to pray and within 20 seconds you have remembered that you’ve forgotten where you put your keys, you have remembered that you’ve forgotten to pay the gas bill and you have forgotten that you sat down to pray!
So much of prayer today is public and spectacular – prayer walks, 24/7 prayer, prayer rooms, public prayer ministry etc. Jesus points out that this mustn’t be done to be seen by men. Beware, amongst all this good of the subtle temptation!
Pray in secret
2. Simple prayer
God also wants simplicity, just like any Father. Fathers don’t require eloquence or extended speeches from their children – they want straightforward honesty and simplicity.
Jesus points at the babbler and says don’t be like her “…because your Father knows exactly what you need before you ask him(v8).”
Eh? So why pray?
The key to prayer, just like the key to Christian Spirituality is relationship. It is not about shopping lists, or insurance. Prayer is not to be treated like a call centre - contact only being made at a point of need or crisis. it is about knowing God.
Luke 18 makes that very clear and shows us spiritual prayer ought also to be Persistent and Humble.
3. Persistent prayer
Simplicity and conciseness do not mean we are not persistent. Jesus shows, through the story of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8) that persistence in prayer is spiritual. Thinking we can twist God’s arm by using the right words or phrases is not, but through persistent, enduring prayer God teaches us to trust him – and that he is the provider.
4. Humble Prayer
Jesus follows this story by showing that humility is evidence of spiritual prayer, despite ones acquired social status (See the Pharisee and the tax collector, Luke 18:9-14). Humility before God means being willing to accept what comes from him with open arms.
Which brings us to our last characteristic of spiritual prayer.
5. Specific Prayer
Prayer should be specific.
Back in Matthew 6, after rejecting hypocrisy and babbling in prayer Jesus models the specificity of prayer in the Lord’s prayer.
Specific prayer means an acknowledgment of who God is (worship / adoration v9), the setting of right priorities (wanting what God wants v10), the addressing of practical needs (v11), Confession (v12) and the request of strength to live for God (v13).
Prayer in the heat of Battle
Ever noticed that the first thing Paul speaks of after listing the armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-17) is prayer.
On the battle field the soldier is only too aware of what is required in order for him to do his job properly. He needs to know the mission – and be aware of who makes those decisions - his Commander(Matthew 6:9-10). But more than that, the soldier needs to be in communication with his Commander forwarding details of needs – when they are short on supplies, ammunition or transport (v11). Absolute honesty is required between Soldier and commander about what is happening on the ground, when things don’t go well and soldiers fail in their task (v12), or when there is a need for back-up and re-enforcements.
We are in a battle – a battle with a world that is an enemy of God. And we are his foot soldiers.
Prayer is our vital lifeline with command, yet so often we live, and treat prayer as though it were room service in a 5 star hotel hotel. We phone down when the shower has broken or we want some more champagne and caviar, but other than that the receiver stays cold.
Jesus is clear, we must be specific because we are in a battle.
Full circle – the character of God.
Jesus teaches that secret, simple, persistent, humble and specific prayer is not in vain. "Your Heavenly Father, who sees everything, will reward you." For we pray to a Father who love to gives good gifts to his children who ask him(Matt 7:7-10).
True Christian Spirituality is not about impressing the neighbours, it is about knowing your God - your Father and commander - and living a conversation with Him.