Faith + Life

Lex orandi est lex credendi.

That translates as “the rule of prayer is the rule of belief.”

Pray Your Plan?

The concept of a “rule” worked it’s way into Christian practice as a training aid. Have you ever watched a training video or bought an exercise book? That’s a rule…or a pedagogical method (which is simply a particular way of teaching).

Like many of us, people in the Greco-Roman world were enamored with athletic contests. Whether it was the Olympics or the gladiatorial contests, games were huge! They were so common that Paul and other New Testament writers use athletic metaphors to talk about faith and about the discipline required to walk the Way of Jesus. In one passage he writes about

• “running to win,”
• athletes working hard,
• having a goal, and
• training (disciplining) the body.

Paul ties all of that to his faith and his work. (1 Corinthians 9:24 , ff.)

Eat Right, Exercise…

The same writer who penned “you were saved by faith in God” (Ephesians 2:8) also suggests that following the Way is hard work!

My suggestion is NOT that you can work your way to salvation.  That wasn’t Paul’s point, either. The benefits of dedicated and purposeful work are indirect. (See the article “The With God Life” by Dallas Willard, et al., in the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible.)

Think of it this way…

Face Time

If you want to get to know someone…really get to know that person… then you have to put yourself in the position to interact with that person. If your approach is welcomed, then you will eventually have a new friend. If your approach is unwelcome, well, then, you’re a stalker. :-0

Your effort to approach that person doesn’t make you their friend, yet the effort is necessary if you are ever to have a close relationship. Fortunately, God issued the invitation to you.  You can’t “stalk” God!  Your intentional, purposeful, frequent presence is desired, whether planned or unplanned.

The Point

That’s the point of a rule or a plan or a discipline. The plan gets us out of bed early or out of the office for a few minutes at lunch and into the gym, except this gym doesn’t have weights, treadmills or saunas. It’s equipped with you and what you need or want to say and a God who wants to listen.

Trust

The end result of all that interaction is trust.

It’s belief.

It’s I know you’re there even when I don’t sense you.

It’s I know you’re not “doing this to me” when bad things happen.

Remember, the way you pray (or don’t) says volumes about what you believe (or don’t)…and about the kind of relationship in which you’re willing to participate.

Now…is that important enough to plan?

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