Two Kinds of Prayer by David Jeremiah

Two Kinds of Prayer Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9:24 Christians who attend liturgical church services—services where prayers and creeds are written out and repeated each Sunday—find security in the repetition of time-honored words. Christians who attend non-liturgical services find comfort in the opposite—praying and professing in a different, spontaneous way each week. Not only is there room for both in Christendom, there is room for both in each Christian’s life.

Recommended Reading: Matthew 6:9-13

Jesus taught His disciples a prayer to pray—word for word—that has been repeated in church services for nearly two thousand years (Matthew 6:9-13). But the Bible is also filled with instances of spontaneous prayers—prayers that only make sense in the moment. Like the father who sought relief for his demonized son: “Lord . . . help my unbelief!” Prayers prayed by memory allow us time to pray meditatively, thinking about God rather than searching for words. Spontaneous prayers call up passion and devotion and shameless dependence on the only One who can help. As you pray, include both practiced prayers and pressured prayers. And enjoy the blessings that come from each. Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.  Soren Kierkegaard