Prayer in the Protestant Tradition

Ted Pecot

For the Interfaith Breakfast on Prayer

(from Ted's notes)

 

It is important to note that as various religious traditions break off from their parent they carry with them certain views about their faith parent more sparked by the need to differentiate than by the need for accuracy.  They are perceptions of the parent tradition and not the fact of the tradition.  Often the perceptions are inaccurate, much as a teenagers opinions of their parent is inaccurate, but significantly influence the identity that develops. Too often in our traditions these inaccurate perceptions get codified into the initial writings that have become scriptures and leads to great prejudice between us.  But the reason for these carefully told misconceptions is to clarify a founding and fundamental theology.  Just as the Christian church trashes the Jewish faith, especially the "scribes and Pharisees" to come up with a theology founded on "gospel of love rather than law", the Protestant church seeks early to distinguish itself away from the Catholic church.  Anti-Semitic and Anti-Catholic sentiments are the sad result of this misperception.  The distinctiveness of Protestant prayer comes from the practical and theological engagement with this perception.  

 

Two General Characteristics:  

Unmediated access to Jesus (the Divine)

Incredible and expanding diversity. 

 

Centrality Always of the Lord’s Prayer    this one from New Zealand Prayer Book

Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver, Source of all that is and that shall be, 

Father and Mother of us all,  Loving God, in whom is heaven:

The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!

The way of your justice be followed  by all the people of the world!

Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!

Your commonwealth of peace and freedom  sustain our hope and come on earth.

With the bread we need for today, feed us. In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us. In times of temptation and test, strengthen us. From trials too great to endure, spare us. From the grip of all that is evil, free us.

For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever.  Amen.  

 

Four General Forms to Protestant Prayer

 

Communal/Worship Pattern

Praise

Lifting up God

Confession and Forgiveness

Bending low in apology and presentation.

Prayer for the Word

Letting Bible and Reflection be prayer.  

Intercession

Praying for the World

 Intercession

This is the form of prayer most Protestants know and would say is prayer.  Lifting oneself or others into God’s hands for help.  

 

Most commonly this is done in a spirit of confidence and faith that God is present already, God cares and that God will act.  

Centering/Contemplation

Renewal of the last 50 years relies on historic traditions of Christianity and other religions (Buddhist, mostly Zen, Sufi, Lectio Divina, and indigenous religions).  

 

Object, mostly without words, is to center oneself in the Presence and Love of God, to let God become a prayer within our whole lives.  

Silence is the first step.  
Awareness.  
Stillness 
and Concentration. 

Charismatic

Also within the last 50 years there has been a revitalization of charismatic prayer, prayer that is a gift of the spirit, most often in singing in the spirit and in praying in tongues.  Tongues, often the gift of languages in the church, changes its shape to be a language of the Holy Spirit spoken through us.  Both singing and praying in the Spirit are used to cleanse the passages of spirit and to let the Holy Spirit pray through us.  There is a lot of controversy about this type of prayer between various churches.