Pisteuomen - πιστευομεν - T. Michael W. Halcomb

Of all the philosophical and theologial questions that often arise for Christians when it comes to prayer, there is a good chance that pride of place goes to the inquiry issued in the title of this post. Indeed, the question "Why pray if God already knows (y)our thoughts" is both a good and popular one! Needless to say, there are a number of different ways that people answer this question. Without writing a book here or launching into a lecture on the history of this matter, I simply want to offer some of my thoughts. First of all, I want to make two points: 1) There is actually an idea embedded in or underlying this question that the people asking it often don't realize is there, and 2) Once we are able to differentiate between the question asked and the underlying question, we can really start to arrive at some good answers. So, let me deal with point #1 here. The underlying question that exists beneath the surface of "Why pray if God already knows (y)our thoughts?...

It is not uncommon in Christian cirlces to hear people haphazardly spout off portions of Rom. 12.12 and 1 Thess. 5.17. In fact, I have heard these verses quoted (more than I care to admit), with an air of piousness that is a bit bothersome. In Romans, there is a snippet of a sentence that says "always be in prayer" and in Thessalonians, one can take a snapshot of the statement "pray without ceasing". These verses have been interpreted a few ways throughout history. For example, St. Chrysostom took them to refer to certain "hours / times" of the day that persons should pray. Others have suggested that since everything Christians do is "in the Lord", then everything Christians do is a form of prayer. Probably, the most popular reading of these texts today is also the most simple, a reading which promotes that of a "vigorous" prayer life. Yet, what if all of these views are off? What if there is another, more fruitful way to understand Pau...

In the previous two posts of this series ( HERE and HERE ), I began laying a base for a theology of prayer. I started by defining prayer as: Attending to the presence of God both around us and in us. I repeatedly emphasized that this definition of prayer, which is God-focused and God-centered, is markedly different from traditional definitions of prayer that are human-centered. It is imperative when constructing a theology of prayer that our definition be sound and healthy. Such a definition, I contend, located God at the center and makes prayer about Him, not about us. After offering a definition, I argued that it is important to also have a healthy image of prayer. I listed a number of very flawed images that persons have (and hold to) that ultimately result in an unhealthy view/understanding of God and prayer. For me, a healthy image is one of two persons making vows (as at a wedding ceremony). At that moment, the two people are attempting to be in each other’s presence as “fully” ...