Thursday, September 03, 2009

Anthony Lilles' Blog

Anthony actually has two blogs, Fire in the Night and Beginning to Pray. The first is more about contemporary issues, the second about spirituality, Lilles' specialty. Both are excellent. I especially like these thoughts about prayer. They help us get around the question, "What do I get out of prayer?"
Most people look at prayer as principally a psychological and therapeutic exercise. They do not normally see prayer as something that actually changes time. But prayer is not simply psychological or therapeutic. It is interpersonal, in the Body of Christ for the glory of the Father and the salvation of the world.

Because the prayer of Christ is always effective, Christian prayer is effective to the degree it is in union with Him and the desires of his heart. It is his desire that all things, including time itself, should be offered in thanksgiving to the Father for the salvation of the world. The reality is, Christians, as members of the Body of Christ, make time pregnant with grace whenever they pray. When we pray, this grace-filled time becomes part of our offering to the Father in Christ. [Emphasis mine]
Lilles is academic dean and professor at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver.