Prayer Life Reflecting Personal Priorities

The Nature of Prayer and Personal Priorities

Prayer is fundamentally "converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him" ^[4]. This understanding is echoed across various traditions, emphasizing the personal and relational aspects of prayer. The act of praying involves expressing reverence, love, gratitude, penitence, hope, submission, and confidence in God's care and favor ^[10].

The content of one's prayers often reflects their personal priorities. According to Reformed tradition, as articulated by John Calvin, prayers should be guided by a desire to promote God's glory and align with His will. Calvin notes that true prayer is characterized by a zeal for God's glory and a recognition of one's own unworthiness, necessitating a reliance on God's mercy ^{[9, 12]}. This perspective is rooted in biblical teachings, such as the model prayer given by Jesus, which prioritizes God's name, kingdom, and will ^[8].

The priorities reflected in prayer are also shaped by one's understanding of God's character and providence. For instance, the Psalmist's prayers often express a deep desire for God's favor, guidance, and deliverance, underscoring a trust in God's loving devotion and faithfulness ^{[3, 5]}. Similarly, the Apostle John's prayer for Gaius's prosperity and health, "even as your soul prospers," indicates a connection between spiritual well-being and physical or material circumstances ^{[2, 6]}.

Prayer as Reflection of Inner Life and Values

The content and manner of prayer reveal the pray-er's inner life and values. According to Jeremiah 4:2, true prayer involves truth, justice, and righteousness, reflecting a transformed inner life and outer lifestyle ^[11]. This aligns with the Rabbinic tradition, which permits the inclusion of personal requests in prayer, emphasizing the importance of sincerity and the alignment of one's requests with God's will ^{[14, 16]}.

The Catholic Scholastic tradition, as represented by Thomas Aquinas, discusses the efficacy of prayer in terms of its ability to avail for both personal merit and the benefit of others, highlighting the communal aspect of prayer ^[13]. This perspective underscores that prayer is not solely an individualistic act but can also be intercessory, reflecting a concern for others.

Historical and Theological Perspectives on Prayer

Historically, the understanding and practice of prayer have been shaped by various theological and cultural contexts. The early Christian fathers, such as Augustine, emphasized the importance of aligning one's will with God's, as exemplified in Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane ^[15]. The Reformed tradition, following Calvin, stresses the necessity of prayer being guided by a desire for God's glory and a recognition of one's dependence on God's sovereignty ^{[8, 9]}.

The Jewish tradition, as seen in the Babylonian Talmud, provides detailed guidance on the structure and content of prayer, including the permissibility of personal requests within certain liturgical frameworks ^{[14, 16]}. These diverse perspectives highlight the complex and multifaceted nature of prayer, reflecting a wide range of personal priorities and theological understandings.

Conclusion

The prayer life of an individual reflects their personal priorities, values, and understanding of God's character. Across various Christian traditions and Jewish Rabbinic thought, prayer is seen as a vital means of communicating with God, expressing one's deepest concerns, and aligning oneself with God's will. The content and manner of prayer are thus indicative of one's spiritual state and priorities, underscoring the importance of sincerity, reverence, and a deep trust in God's providence ^{[1, 3, 7]}.

Sources

Philippians “Philippians 1:9 (Rotherham) — And, this, I pray—that, your love, may be, yet more and more, pre-eminent in personal knowledge and all perception,”
III John “III John 1:2 (LEB) — Dear friend, I pray you may prosper concerning everything and be healthy, just as your soul prospers.”
Psalms “Psalms 119:159 (BSB) — Consider how I love Your precepts, O LORD; give me life according to Your loving devotion.”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Prayer — Is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal. It is a "beseeching the Lord" (Ex. 32:11); "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15); "praying and crying to heaven" (2 Chr. 32:20); "seeking unto God and making supplication" (Job 8:5); "drawing near to God" (Ps. 73:28); "bowing the knees" (Eph. 3:14). Prayer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to hold inter”
Psalms “Dirigatur oratio mea sicut incensum in conspectu tuo ; elevatio manuum mearum sacrificium vespertinum. -- Psalms 140:2”
3 John “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers. -- 3 John 1:2”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prayer — Commanded -- Isa 55:6; Mt 7:7; Php 4:6. To be offered To God. -- Ps 5:2; Mt 4:10. To Christ. -- Lu 23:42; Ac 7:59. To the Holy Spirit. -- 2Th 3:5. Through Christ. -- Eph 2:18; Heb 10:19. God hears -- Ps 10:17; 65:2. God answers -- Ps 99:6; Isa 58:9. Is described as Bowing the knees. -- Eph 3:14. Looking up. -- Ps 5:3. Lifting up the soul. -- Ps 25:1. Lifting up the heart. -- La 3:41. Pouring out the heart. -- Ps 62:8. Pouring out the soul. -- 1Sa 1:15. Calling upon the name of the Lord. -- Ge 12:8; Ps 116:4; Ac 22:16. Crying to God. -- Ps 27:7; 34:6. Drawing”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: we all obtain whatever is good is our common Father ( Mt. 23:9 ), every thing which has been distributed to us we should be prepared to communicate to each other, as far as occasion demands. But if we are thus desirous as we ought, to stretch out our hands and give assistance to each other, there is nothing by which we can more benefit our brethren than by committing them to the care and protection of the best of parents, since if He is propitious and favourable nothing more can be desired. And, indeed, we owe this also to our Fath”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: him as our Lord and Father, and truly and thoroughly devoted to his service. Hence if men, in praying that the name of God may be hallowed, that his kingdom may come, and his will be done, are not influenced by this zeal for the promotion of his glory, they are not to be accounted among the servants and children of God; and as all these things will take place against their will, so they will turn out to their confusion and destruction. 44. Now comes the second part of the prayer, in which we descend to our own interests, not, indee”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 73: § 20. Prayer. Prayer is the converse of the soul with God. Therein we manifest or express to Him our reverence, and love for his divine perfection, our gratitude for all his mercies, our penitence for our sins, our hope in his forgiving love, our submission to his authority, our confidence in his care, our desires for his favour, and for the providential and spiritual blessings needed for ourselves and others. As religion, in the subjective sense of the word, is the state of mind induced by the due apprehension of the character of God and”
Jeremiah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Jeremiah 4:2: 4:2 As surely as the Lord lives: The correct attitude when offering a prayer of confession and making oaths reflects truth, justice, and righteousness. Truth means that the inner attitudes and thoughts of those praying match the words they utter. Justice means living by the laws of the Lord, who will judge the earth. Righteousness means that people relate to others in accordance with the Lord’s Spirit and the moral standards he has established. This kind of prayer requires a radical transformation of people’s inner lives and outer lifestyle (Gen 22:18; Deut 10:20”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” ( 1 John 1:9 ). Hence, under the law it was necessary to consecrate prayers by the expiation of blood, both that they might be accepted, and that the people might be warned that they were unworthy of the high privilege until, being purged from their defilements, they founded their confidence in prayer entirely on the mercy of God. 10. Sometimes, however, the saints in supplicating God, seem to appeal to their own righteousness, as when David sa”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Supplement (Supplementum), Of the Suffrages for the Dead, Art. 1: Article: Whether the suffrages of one person can profit others? I answer that, our actions can avail for two purposes. First, for acquiring a certain state; thus by a meritorious work a man obtains the state of bliss. Secondly, for something consequent upon a state; thus by some work a man merits an accidental reward, or a rebate of punishment. And for both these purposes our actions may avail in two ways: first, by way of merit; secondly, by way of prayer: the difference being that merit relies on jus”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 128a.61:26: This was also stated by an amora ; Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi said that Rav said: Although the Sages said that one requests his personal needs in the blessing: Who listens to prayer, that is with regard to one who wishes to do so as part of the Amida prayer. If he comes to add and recite additional requests after completing his Amida prayer, even if his personal requests are the equivalent of the order of the confession of Yom Kippur, he may recite them.”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 1: Augustine — Confessions, Letters — CHAP. XIV. -- 25. Perhaps you may still ask why the apostle said, "We know not what to pray for as we ought," 4 for it is wholly incredible that either he or those to whom he wrote were ignorant of th (part 2): this cup pass from me," transforming the human will which was in Him through His incarnation, He immediately added, "Nevertheless, O Father, not as I will but as Thou wilt."'° Wherefore, not without reason are many made righteous by the obedience of One." 27. But whoever desires from the Lord that "one thing," and seeks after it, 12 asks i”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 128b.61:26: This was also stated by an amora ; Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi said that Rav said: Although the Sages said that one requests his personal needs in the blessing: Who listens to prayer, that is with regard to one who wishes to do so as part of the Amida prayer. If he comes to add and recite additional requests after completing his Amida prayer, even if his personal requests are the equivalent of the order of the confession of Yom Kippur, he may recite them.”

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