This is particularly true of the area of our daily Christian lives that I perhaps the most important-prayer. In virtually every culture, there is prayer of some sort, as human beings seek to contact someone or something beyond. Universalists would have us believe that all such prayer is equally acceptable and effective; however, the truth is that Yahweh is one, and he must be approached in the way that he has prescribed in his word. With this in mind, it would seem a productive exercise to set ourselves to study what prayer is and what it is intended to accomplish by searching the Hebrew Scriptures and the Apostolic Writings for answers about the Hebrew foundations of prayer.
This is what we have undertaken to do in this issue of Restore! Though our examination could only be cursory at best, we have attempted to give a variety of expressions from various scholars in which we analyze the Jewish roots of Christian prayer and make practical suggestions of ways in which you can improve your prayer life.
"More Human Every Day" is Rev. David Andrew’s contribution to the dialogue of what it means to restore the Jewish roots of Christian faith. He focuses on the need for disciplined obedience to God as a prerequisite of the potent "spiritual warfare" of prayer in which "submission to God" precedes "resisting the devil." Dr. Karl Coke gives us "Lessons About Prayer from the Jewish Culture," an excellent analysis of the visual aids which Jewish men use in their prayer lives, T’fillin and Tallith, and how the principles involved in these practices can enhance Christian prayer. "Hebrew Foundations of New Testament Prayer" is my own analysis of the influence of Judaism on the prayer lives of Jesus and the apostles. Dr. Terril D. Littrell gives us practical insights into positive ecumenism in "The Challenge of Christian Unity." Dwight A. Pryor’s article, "Patterns and Principles of Jewish Prayer," opens our eyes to see the richness of prayer in Judaism that can provoke us to practice this part of our faith in the way in which Jesus himself did. "Knowing God" is Dr. Clifford Denton’s provocative article on the ever-apparent challenge which we have not merely to know about God but to "know God" through an intimate personal relationship, a relationship that makes our prayers effective. Dr. Johan A. Looper gives us "A House of Prayer for All People," an interesting analysis comparing the order of the tabernacle with the Christian quest for communion with God in the most holy place. "Siyach-Prayer as Conversation" is Dr. Leon Mohammed’s development of the importance of dialogue with God in prayer, not just the traditional monologue of vain repetitions. Dr. Howard Morgan analyzes the offering of incense in the tabernacle as a paradigm for effective prayer in his "The Incense of Prayer."
The Jewish people have considered prayer as being equally important with Torah (Bible) study and charity. The quest for the leaders of Judaism has been to assist the people to become "pray-ers" – not just people who pray. Prayer should become such an integral part of life that there is not thought of not praying. Some Christians who are more comfortable with spontaneity and emotion have criticized the Jewish approach to prayer in which the Siddur (Prayer Book) is used. This systematic approach to prayer, along with the more than one hundred berekot (blessings) which are recited throughout the day thanking to God for all the events of life, ingrains prayer consciousness into the very fiber of the Jewish soul. Then, they are not just praying when they "feel like it." They are praying always.
This is a valuable lesson which Christians can learn about prayer from the Jewish people. We should serve God and be obedient to him in all things whether we feel like it or not. This includes both prayer, Bible study, and charity, all o which are most effective when they are done continually and without thought to human emotion. When we learn this lesson, we will find ourselves fulfilling the royal law of the New Testament, loving God with our entire being and our neighbor as ourselves, the pure religion which James instructed the church to practice.
Now, enjoy this issue of Restore!
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