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Writing Letters to God in Prayer and Worship

Prayer is understood as a direct address to God, an "intercourse of the soul with God" that can be oral or mental, constant or occasional [4]. The Bible commands prayer, as seen in Isaiah 55:6, Matthew 7:7, and Philippians 4:6 [3]. It is directed to God, to Christ, and to the Holy Spirit, and is offered through Christ [3].

Various biblical descriptions illustrate the physical and emotional postures associated with prayer. These include bowing the knees (Ephesians 3:14), looking up (Psalm 5:3), lifting up the soul (Psalm 25:1), lifting up the heart (Lamentations 3:41), pouring out the heart (Psalm 62:8), and crying to God (Psalm 27:7) [3, 4]. The Psalms frequently express this direct address, such as "Hear the voice of my petitions, when I cry to you, when I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place" (Psalm 28:2) and "I will sing a new song to you, God" (Psalm 144:9) [1, 2].

The early church fathers also emphasized the personal and direct nature of prayer. Augustine, for instance, frequently called upon God in his Confessions, expressing a deep desire for God's presence and mercy [8, 11, 12]. He saw prayer as a means of confessing to God and seeking truth through the Holy Scriptures [9, 13]. Liturgical prayers from the early church, such as those attributed to St. Adaeus and St. Maris, and the Divine Liturgy of James, also demonstrate this direct address, with petitions for strength, mercy, and forgiveness [7, 10]. An evening prayer from this period praises God and blesses Him for His great glory [15].

The concept of prayer presupposes a belief in God's personality and His willingness to engage with humanity [4]. Access to God in prayer is understood to be granted by God Himself, through Christ, and by the Holy Spirit, and is obtained through faith [5]. This access is a privilege for believers, allowing them to approach God with confidence [5]. The spiritual life is maintained through prayer, among other means [6]. The objection that prayer is inconsistent with God's dignity, given His infinite nature, is countered by the understanding that God's infinitude means His knowledge, power, and presence are not limited, and He is not distracted by human affairs [14].

Sources

  1. Psalms “I will sing a new song to you, God. On a ten-stringed lyre, I will sing praises to you. -- Psalms 144:9”
  2. Psalms “Hear the voice of my petitions, when I cry to you, when I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place. -- Psalms 28:2”
  3. 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”
  4. 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”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Access to God — Is of God -- Ps 65:4. Is by Christ -- Joh 10:7, 9; 14:6; Ro 5:2; Eph 2:13; 3:12; Heb 7:9, 25; 10:19; 1Pe 3:18. Is by the Holy Spirit -- Eph 2:18. Obtained through faith -- Ac 14:27; Ro 5:2; Eph 3:12; Heb 11:6. Follows upon reconciliation to God -- Col 1:21,22. In Prayer -- See Prayer. De 4:7; Mt 6:6; 1Pe 1:17. In his temple -- Ps 15:1; 27:4; 43:3; 65:4. To obtain mercy and grace -- Heb 4:16. A privilege of saints -- De 4:7; Ps 15:1; 23:6; 24:3,4. Saints have, with confidence -- Eph 3:12; Heb 4:16; 10:19,20. Vouchsafed to repenting sinners -- See Repen”
  6. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Life, Spiritual — God is the Author of -- Ps 36:9; Col 2:13. Christ is the Author of -- Joh 5:21,25; 6:33,51-53; 14:6; 1Jo 4:9. The Holy Spirit is the Author of -- Eze 37:14; Ro 8:9-13. The word of God is the instrument of -- Isa 55:3; 2Co 3:6; 1Pe 4:6. Is hidden with Christ -- Col 3:3. The fear of God is -- Pr 14:27; 19:23. Spiritual-mindedness is -- Ro 8:6. Is maintained by Christ. -- Joh 6:57; 1Co 10:3,4. Faith. -- Ga 2:20. The word of God. -- De 8:3; Mt 4:4. Prayer. -- Ps 69:32. Has its origin in the new-birth -- Joh 3:3-8. Has its infancy -- Lu 10:21; 1Co 3:1,2;”
  7. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 7: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius — COMPOSED BY ST. ADAEUS AND ST. MARIS, TEACHERS OF THE EASTERNS.(1) (part 1): 1.(2) First: Glory to God in the highest, etc. Our Father which art in heaven. Prayer. Strengthen, O our Lord and God, our weakness through Thy mercy, that we may administer the holy mystery which has been given for the renovation and salvation of our degraded nature, through the mercies of Thy beloved Son the Lord of all. On common days. Adored, glorified, lauded, celebrated, exalted, and blessed in heaven and on earth, be the adorable and glorious n”
  8. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 1: Augustine — Confessions, Letters — CHAP. I.- HE CALLS UPON GOD, AND PROPOSES TO: HIMSELF TO WORSHIP HIM. I. I CALL upon Thee, my God, my mercy, who madest me, and who didst not forget me, though forgetful of Thee. I call Thee into' my soul, which by the desire which Thou inspirest in it Thou preparest for Thy reception. Do not Thou forsake me calling upon Thee, who didst anticipate me before I called, and didst importunately urge with manifold calls that I should hear Thee from afar, and be converted, and call upon Thee who calledst me. For Thou, 0 Lord, hast blotted out all my ev”
  9. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 1: Augustine — Confessions, Letters — CHAP. II--HE BEGS OF GOD THAT THROUGH THE HOLY SCRIPTURES HE MAY BE LED TO TRUTH. (part 1): z. But when shall I suffice with the tongue of my pen to express all Thy exhortations, and all Thy terrors, and comforts, and guidances, whereby Thou hast led me to preach Thy Word and to dispense Thy Sacrament5 unto Thy people ? And if I suffice to utter these things in order, the drops6 of time are dear to me. Long time have I burned to meditate in Thy law, and in it to confess to Thee my knowledge and ignorance, the beginning of Thine enlightening, and ”
  10. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 7: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius — THE DIVINE LITURGY OF JAMES, THE HOLY APOSTLE AND BROTHER (part 1): OF THE LORD. I. The Priest.(2) 1. O SOVEREIGN Lord our God, contemn me not, defiled with a multitude of sins: for, behold, I have come to this Thy divine and heavenly mystery, not as being worthy; but looking only to Thy goodness, I direct my voice to Thee: God be merciful to me, a sinner; I have sinned against Heaven, and before Thee, and am unworthy to come into the presence of this Thy holy and spiritual table, upon which Thy only-begotten Son, and our Lord”
  11. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 1: Augustine — Confessions, Letters — CHAP. I.--HE PROCLAIMS THE GREATNESS OF GOD, WHOM HE DESIRES TO SEEK AND INVOKE, BEING AWAKENED BY HIM.: I. GREAT art Thou, 0 Lord, and greatly to be praised; great is Thy power, and of Thy wisdom there is no end.t And man, being a part of Thy creation, desires to praise Thee,man, who bears about with him his mortality, the witness of his sin, even the witness that Thou "resistest the proud,"2 -- yet man, this part of Thy creation, desires to praise Thee.s Thou movest us to delight in praising Thee; for Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our he”
  12. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 1: Augustine — Confessions, Letters — CHAP. V.--HE SEEKS REST IN GOD, AND PARDON: OF HIS SINS. 5. Oh ! how shall I find rest in Thee ? Who will send Thee into my heart to inebriate it, s that I may forget my woes, and embrace Thee my only good ? What art Thou to me ? Have compassion on me, that I may speak. What am I to Thee that Thou demandest my love, and unless I give it Thee art angry, and threatenest me with great sorrows ? Is it, then, a light sorrow not to love Thee ? Alas ! alas ! tell me of Thy compassion, O Lord my God, what Thou art to me. "Say unto my soul, I am thy salva”
  13. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 1: Augustine — Confessions, Letters — CHAP. I.--THAT IT BECOMES THE SOUL TO PRAISE GOD, AND TO CONFESS UNTO HIM.: 1. ACCEPT the sacrifice of my confessions by the agency of my tongue, which Thou hast formed and quickened, that it may confess to Thy name; and heal Thou all my bones, and let them say, "Lord, who is like unto Thee ?"1 For neither does he who confesses to Thee teach Thee what may be passing within him, because: a dosed heart doth not exclude Thine eye, nor does man's hardness of heart repulse Thine hand, but Thou dissolvest it when Thou wiliest, either in pity or in veng”
  14. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 73: All this for the believer is literal truth, having in its support the highest kind of evidence. The “how” he is content to leave unexplained. It is an objection often urged against the propriety of addressing prayer to God, that it is inconsistent with his dignity as an infinite Being to suppose that He concerns Himself with the trifling affairs of men. This objection arises from a forgetfulness that God is infinite. It assumes that his knowledge, power, or presence, is limited; that He would be distracted if his attention were directed t”
  15. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 7: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius — AN EVENING PRAYER.: XLVIII. "Ye children, praise the Lord: praise the name of the Lord."(11) We praise Thee, we sing hymns to Thee, we bless Thee for Thy great glory, O Lord our King, the Father of Christ the immaculate Lamb, who taketh away the sin of the world. Praise becomes Thee, hymns become Thee, glory becomes Thee, the God and Father,(12) through the Son, in the most holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen. "Now, O Lord, lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation,”
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