​After the killing of Iran’s General Qasem Soleimani and retaliatory missile strikes on U.S. bases, there are millions of prayers being prayed around the world. 

There are many Americans praying for Americans.  For our leaders, military, and national security.
There are Iranians praying for Iranians.
There are Christians praying for Christians.
There are Muslims praying for Muslims.
 
In all the praying, here is the most radical prayer:  Christians praying for Iranian Shia Muslims. 

Another shooting?
Another fire?
Another hurricane?
Another Tweet?

There are days that I'm fatigued.  Every tragedy and crisis requires emotional energy.  Bad news is a burden assumed by the head and heart.  At some point, compassion fatigue sets in.  We turn numb to violence, pain, and death. 

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims . . ."  It is a pre-packaged catchphrase that rings hollow because we can't find words that really help.  So what do we do when we're fatigued by bad news?  

You should never pray the Lord’s Prayer without considering what you're asking.  It’s the most dangerous prayer you can pray.   

Consider “Thy will be done.”   Jesus prayed this in a dark night of agony in a garden called Gethsemane.  Staring down the danger of devil and death, he fell to his knees and pleaded, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.  Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done”  (Luke 22:42). 

We often pray, “God, I want this . . . Now help me get it.”  Jesus’ prayer is the opposite, “Father, not what I want.  What do you want?  You have your way.  That’s what I want.” 

“Thy will be done.”  It’s a most dangerous prayer because Jesus prayed it and it got him killed.

It's been tweeted, posted, and spoken millions of times since Sunday's tragic shooting in central Florida.  

Our thoughts and prayers are with . . .
Pray for the victims and families . . .
#Prayers4Orlando

By Monday, I thought to myself, "Have I really prayed?  What do I even pray for?"  Horrific tragedy leaves us speechless.  So we default to cliches and bumper sticker slogans.  "Thoughts and prayers" is one of those lines.  

If I'm going to say it, I better be willing to do it.  And not just a personal meditation or thoughtless batch of words.  Prayer isn't a conjuring of good vibes.  It is a pleading cry to the living God of the entire universe.  

Here are 12 things to specifically pray for:

I know you don't pray much.  When you do, you struggle.  

You’re not sure what to say. 
You pray before bed and fall asleep. 
You start praying and then you’re distracted by a squirrel, a cloud, the TV, a thought.

 As we struggle to pray we ask, “Why pray at all?” 

      From “Our” to “Amen” the Lord's Prayer is 70 words.  Jesus prefaced this prayer in Matthew 6:5-8.  Not only does he tell us why we ought to pray, but ways we shouldn't.   Here are three misuses of prayer, and three reasons to pray vigorously.

     If you live in St. Louis, MO, you missed church today.  Because everyone freaks out about snow in this town.  So here's the lowdown on today's sermon in our "Follow the Way" series.  Get the message here.  Mail your offering in tomorrow :)

     I'm pretty sure that you have mistreated prayer at some point.  You've treated prayer as:

                                                               Magic
                                                                   or
                                                          Mechanics

"Practice what you preach."  I have a hard time preaching things I don't practice.  I've been devoting myself to a deepened prayer life in 2014.  I preached on this in February, as I highlighted the priority of prayer in spiritual movements.  Since then, I have devoted the first Thursday of the month to what we call "Frontline Prayer" - an intentional, corporate prayer gathering.    

Help keep this pastor accountable to what he preaches.  If you are local in St. Louis, MO, I challenge you to wake up early on Thursday morning, May 1st and join me in our church sanctuary from 7:00-7:30AM.  If this is physically impossible for you, join me remotely from wherever you are (your bed, your kitchen, your cubicle at work, etc.).  If you're praying with me on Thursday morning, let me know.  

If remote, here are some things you can pray for:  

      It's tempting to see the church simply an organization, similar to a business, a non-profit, an alumni association, or a club.  Is the church just another association of like-minded people?  Is it simply an organization whose commodity is religious goods and services, and whose clientele are "spiritual people"?  The distinction between an organization and a movement is critical.  While the church does possess organization, it is first and foremost a movement - God's great movement in Christ among his people.  

      What are the marks of a movement that make the church more than just another organization?  Over three weeks, I'm preaching on three characteristics that distinguish her from the average organization.  Prayer.  Unity.  Gospel-centrism.    Here are 5 notes on how prayer is an absolutely critical component of the church's movement. 

In a recent Twitter Q&A, Pastor Tim Keller was asked, "Why do you think young Christian adults struggle most deeply with God as a personal reality in their lives?"  Keller responded, "It is easier to Tweet than pray."  There is only slight irony in the fact that he tweeted this response.  

In 2014, I'm giving renewed focus to my prayer life.  Not as a duty or obligation, but out of a desire to trust God more fully.  I find it so hard to focus.  My life is filled with inordinate amounts of noise and distraction.  Even in a quiet moment, the nuerons in my brain are scheming.  Technology appears to have shortened our attention span and ability to focus.  With social media, we're always thinking about what to say instead of listening to what's being said.  

Guiding my prayer life at this time is I Samuel 3:10 when young Samuel is awoken by a mysterious voice he thinks is his mentor, Eli.  "Speak, O Lord, for your servant is listening."  He surrenders.  He opens his eardrums and heart.  

The older I get, the harder my hearing is.  I'm weary of meaningless words.  Speak, Lord.  I'm listening.