Part 1 of an Interview with Adriel Sanchez, Author of Praying with Jesus

 

Part 1 of an Interview with Adriel Sanchez, Author of Praying with Jesus Using the Lord’s Prayer as a framework, Adriel Sanchez, host of the Core Christianity radio broadcast, unlocks the mystery of prayer, helping readers understand what prayer is, how to navigate the challenges of prayer, and how to form a habit of prayer. Sanchez points the way to how the Lord’s Prayer helps us better grasp the essential truth that we are not meant to try to navigate life in our own strength and wisdom. In Praying with Jesus, Sanchez considers some of the reasons behind an inconsistent prayer life and helps cultivate a consistent habit of prayer. He guides readers into a union with Christ that is only possible through the daily practice of praying with Jesus. Readers will learn that the daily practice of praying based on the Lord’s Prayer transforms them—giving them insight into God’s purposes, bringing the presence of God into lives, and helping to unearth treasures of grace. Q: Why is there a need for another book on the Lord’s Prayer? What makes your book, Praying with Jesus, different from other books on prayer? I don’t think we can ever be too encouraged to pray. While at times praying seems to come naturally, the discipline of prayer requires thoughtfulness and perseverance. Praying With Jesus is one more encouragement for people to experience the sweet communion with God that Jesus has purchased for them, and it includes helpful tips, devotional prayers from church history, and “Prayer Practices” as well as group discussion questions at the end of each chapter. I’ve tried to weave together practical/pastoral insights, systematic theology, and wisdom from the great prayer warriors of the past. I also address some of the less talked about topics when it comes to prayer, like the relationship between the body and prayer, and the importance of making time to pray. Even scheduled prayer can be powerful! Q: You write that even though the Lord’s Prayer is the most known prayer in history, it’s also the most misunderstood. How so? Yes, this was a point the Protestant Reformer, Martin Luther made in a short tract he wrote to his barber on prayer! With his trademark wit, he called the Lord’s Prayer one of the greatest martyrs on earth because everyone tortures and abuses it. His point there is that while we often recite the words, we don’t take the rich theology that undergirds each petition to heart. I think of Praying With Jesus as a kind of excavation process, digging deep beneath each petition to unearth the gospel treasurers that are waiting to be found. Some of this also gets at one of Jesus’ warnings with regard to praying in Matthew 6. We shouldn’t pray mindlessly. Praying the right words on autopilot is a way of feigning communion with God. The real thing is so much better! Q: Part One of Praying with Jesus is a general teaching on prayer. What are some of the topics you cover in that section? The first part of the book covers the heart of prayer, the postures associated with prayer in Scripture, and the time to pray. This section helps lead into the Lord’s Prayer proper. In the first chapter on the heart of prayer, I emphasize the fact that God wants to hear your sincere prayers. Prayer isn’t for the super spiritual, but for the poor in spirit. I unpack the warnings Jesus gave about hypocritical and superstitious prayer, and I conclude with hope for those who feel like their prayers are lacking. Chapter two on bodily postures in prayer is important in a book that emphasizes the discipline of prayer. Just think about bodily exercise. Rarely do we feel motivated to wake up and go to the gym or run a couple miles. Those who value fitness do so because they see the health benefits over a period of time. Prayer is a kind of bodily exercise, and consistent discipline does yield results. I spend time talking about the significance of the various bodily postures seen throughout Scripture: kneeling, prostration, standing, hands raised, etc. These postures can be a way of aligning our bodies with the cry of our heart. Chapter three is on the time to pray. Many of us don’t pray simply because we don’t have the time to. I trace the biblical and early Christian practice of setting apart times to pray. The early Christians had the same problem we do today, but they realized that time needed to be carved out for prayer because of how important it was. I give some practical tips on cultivating a habit of prayer without veering into legalism.

Q: In the chapter that talks about spiritual heart disease, you say not to spam God with your prayers. If we are supposed to be able to take all our concerns to God, how do our prayers become spiritual spam? This is a great question because one might argue that the persistent widow in Luke’s Gospel was a “spammer.” Here I’m focusing on Jesus’ warning against hypocritical prayers. Jesus taught that the pagans babbled many words thinking to be heard. They weren’t coming to God in faith, but spouting off incantations with the hope that maybe one of the gods was listening. When we approach God, we should believe that he is listening, and that he rewards those who seek him (See Hebrews 11!). Spam prayers are meaningless prayers we offer that we don’t really expect to be answered, and thus they’re faithless words. God invites us to come to him with all our needs. When we do, our faith will never be perfect, but there’s a difference between sincere prayers offered up with a weak faith, and mindless repetitions prayed like the Gentiles that Jesus described in Matthew 6. Q: What part does our body play in prayer? Why is our physical posture important? Seeing the connection between the body and prayer is a great reminder that our whole selves are to be offered to God as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), including the individual members of our bodies (Roman 6). For many of us, the assumption is that the body is a hindrance to prayer. I’d like to try and turn this around. Our bodies can be employed in the discipline of prayer to help stir our heart attitude before the Lord. Posture isn’t ultimate (our posture can contradict our heart attitude), but that doesn’t mean its insignificant or unimportant. The Christian faith has always put a high value on the body as the object of God’s redemptive love. Since our bodies are a part of what Jesus has purchased, they should be brought into his service in all things, including the praying life. Q: What encouragement do you offer to the Christian who is struggling with maintaining a faithful and consistent prayer life? What are some things that we can do to help build a habit of prayer? Look, if prayer wasn’t hard Jesus’ disciples wouldn’t have asked him how to do it (Luke 11:1). So many people feel bad that they simply don’t have the desire to pray. The sense of guilt is compounded so that we distract ourselves with many things rather than attempting prayer. The first thing I’d want to say is, “You’re not a terrible person because you don’t always feel like praying.” In fact, none of us do. Cultivating a habit of prayer means getting beyond only praying when we feel like it, and that requires learning to discipline ourselves to pray just like we discipline ourselves to exercise or take showers. The Scriptures are full of examples of people praying at set times in the day, and sometimes that can be a helpful pattern to follow. Writing down our prayers is a good strategy for fighting against distraction, and using the prayers of others, or meditating on Scripture, can be a helpful remedy to “prayer’s block.” Another encouragement is to meditate on the goodness of God. Prayer is a gift God has given us through Jesus. By means of his sacrificial death, the veil of separation was torn in two, and we’ve been granted full access to God in prayer. God wants to hear our prayers; in fact, he likens them to a sweet incense that fills his temple. Rather than thinking, “I’m such a mess, my prayers stink,” recognize that God has sprinkled your prayers with the blood of his Son. As his child you can call upon him with all the saints saying, “Our Father…” knowing that he’s eager to give his best gifts to those who ask. Also, to the person who feels totally empty, I think that even emptiness can be an offering to God. Praying, “Lord, I feel so far from you, I don’t even want to pray right now, and yet I know that you’re good according to your word. Help!” is honest, and I believe, honoring to God. Prayer should be a point of intimacy with God rather than something we try to hide behind to pretend we’re holy.

Praying with Jesus: Getting to the Heart of the Lord’s Prayer By Adriel Sanchez Print ISBN: 978-1-64507-339-0 April 8, 2024 / Retail Price: $16.99 RELIGION / Christian Living / Prayer

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About the Author

Adriel Sanchez, MA, is the pastor of North Park Presbyterian Church in San Diego, CA. He received Masters degrees in Biblical Studies and Theological Studies from Westminster Seminary California. Sanchez also serves the broader church as the host of Core Christianity, a daily live listener call-in Q&A radio broadcast about the Bible and the Christian life. He is the author of Praying with Jesus and has also been published in Christianity Today, Modern Reformation Magazine, Tabletalk Magazine, and Credo Magazine. He and his wife, Ysabel, live in San Diego with their five children.   Listen to Adriel Sanchez’s podcast and read his blog articles at Corechristianity.com. He can also be found on Facebook (Adriel Sanchez) and X (@Adrieltweets).