We Learn to Pray by Praying
Getting Started With Prayers from the Cloud
I stumbled into this prayer project somewhat by accident. I started sending old prayers to a cousin following back surgery. Then something happened inside me. The contribution of this “great cloud of witnesses” captured my imagination. I compiled a year’s worth of prayers—365 prayers in all—to send along to interested family members and friends. More joined Prayers from the Cloud as I collected a second year of prayers—366 additional prayers (the extra number accounts for the leap year!).
The writer of Hebrews declares, “We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12.1). What cloud? What witnesses? This provocative metaphor of a cloud follows a lengthy list of Old Testament believers in Hebrews 11 who have run the race God marked out for them by faith. If you add to their number Christians who ran by faith in the New Testament as well as the collective witness of the church through the ages, it amounts to a great cloud of witnesses. The writer identifies them as a singular cloud, not clouds, to underscore their common purpose of bearing witness to God’s saving love through Jesus Christ.
These praying people in Prayers from the Cloudall share one thing in common: they have run this race by faith. Some of them have run under difficult, almost impossible circumstances. Their stories of privation and hardship humble us. Their courage calls our timidity into question. Their confession of sin silences any presumption of virtue on our side. They have run their race and now pass the baton to us. It’s our turn to run the race marked out for us.
Hebrews is a letter written to believers weary with running this race in a culture largely unsympathetic and even hostile to their gospel message. Some of us can relate to becoming weary in running this race by faith. The writer reminds us to “look to Jesus” as our trailblazer and pacesetter. Need I remind you this race is not a rat race. That’s why the writer tells us to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Heb. 12.1).
After two years of researching other people’s prayers, I can attest to something: praying other people’s prayers deepens our prayer life. Allow me to illustrate, utilizing a prayer from a seventeenth century preacher and writer Jeremy Taylor:
“Guide us, Lord,
in all the changes and varieties of the world,
that we may have evenness and tranquility of spirit
that we may not grumble in adversity,
nor grow proud in prosperity,
but in serene faith surrender our souls
to your most divine will,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.”
Begin by reading through the prayer a few times to become familiar with it. If the prayer is written in formal language, you may need to update the pronouns to personalize the prayer and make it your own. Then pray the prayer slowly, asking for a tranquil spirit and serene faith. Be honest to admit before God times when you have grumbled in adversity and become proud in prosperity. Confession isgood for the soul.
Pick out a few words or phrases in Jeremy’s prayer to carry with you into the day. Let’s say you have decided to pray for “evenness and tranquility of spirit.” Pray for evenness and tranquility whenever you are stuck in traffic, annoyed with a coworker or waiting in a checkout line. It’s one practical way to heed Paul’s admonition to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5.17).
Pray the daily prayer from Prayers from the Cloud in the early or middle portion of your day and return to it in the evening before bed. Confess instances of grumbling or pride that sap our spiritual strength and rob us of joy. May the posture of surrendering your soul in serene faith soothe and settle you. What a great way to close out the day and prepare for sleep.
Pray Jeremy’s prayer before a meal, whether you dine alone or in the company of family or friends. Our prayers at mealtimes often become sterile and routine, so prayers like the one featured here can help break the monotony.
Post prayers that have special meaning for you in a prominent location, perhaps on your car dashboard, refrigerator door or bathroom mirror as an incentive to pray.
We learn to pray by praying.