For some time now I have been interested in how important
prayer is to many people. It is hard for me to generalize about the import of
prayer but I suspect it is best indicated by frequency of
prayer. Frequency plus what
is prayed for by each religious group is another insight. Still generalizing is hard
for me.
As I read Daniel this morning I wondered what it would be
like to be told not to pray. What would it be like to be told to pray to an
unworthy object? Furthermore what would that be like given the Judeo-Christian
commandment against idolatry? Besides who would really know about your private
inner voice of prayer? How many times a day does one simply overhear one's inner
self voicing a concern to God?
Years ago I was asked by my Spiritual Director
to notice the accidents of prayer in my day. I was surprised to note that as I
went about my day I would almost instinctually pray. Something gave me
delight, a prayer of gratitude. I am off to the hospital and intercession, not
only for the one I was going to see but all sorts of folk, came to my
prayer. Is this affected by the reality that I had a pattern of seated prayer
daily? I suspect it was. Yet the point of the exercise was for me to see how
prayer happens even when not intentional. So if I am going to generalize
anything, it would be that the intention to pray ups the accidents of prayer.
The intention to seek God's company increases the supposition of God's
company.
When Daniel is told that all people are only to pray to the King alone
for thirty days under penalty of death, we might think "not so hard." But his
life and its fullness has been deeply based on a pattern of daily prayer. His
ability to see deeply into meanings has to do with this key true relationship.
So when he is told not to pray for thirty days, except to the King, I suspect
that is like being told not to breathe, or to breathe only foul air that you must seek
out, for thirty days. What person of faith can do this, will do this? Daniel
continues his normal life.
Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he
continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open toward
Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and
praise him, just as he had done previously. The conspirators came and found
Daniel praying and seeking mercy before his God. Daniel
6:10-11.
There is such confidence in this choice, even as there is confidence in
our choices daily (or more often) to pray. So easily one may
fall into prayer.
In the Gospel Jesus is in a place where healing is expected.
So expected is it that when a paralytic's friends cannot get through the crowded
door, they open the roof to let the paralytic down to Jesus. Jesus admires the
faith and determination and speaks the popular belief about
illness. "Friend, your sins are forgiven you." He is challenged on this
statement. The proclamation of forgiveness is not done by mere mortals. So Jesus
continues,
"Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is
easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Stand up and walk?'
But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive
sins," he said to the one who was paralyzed, "I say to you, stand up and take your
bed and go to your home." Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had
been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. Luke
5:22-25
I suspect that this was an offshoot of how Jesus prayed with and
for people. He took their popular belief and took it another step. He held expectations
that God would act, spoke confident words of sins forgiven and wholeness was the result. Jesus
in Luke's Gospel maintains this pattern even over against
religious objection.
It is interesting to me that one survey on prayer and health
shows a high correlation between prayer and healing or the expectation of
healing. It is further interesting that in this dry statistical report the
expectation of an intersection between prayer and wholeness increases with
educational attainment. You might say, when the going gets rough, the faithful
get to praying.
No wonder Daniel continued to pray as he always had.
No wonder we do too.
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