Theology that is biblical and evangelical, will always be nurtured by prayer. Theology is concerned not only with the Logos but with the Spirit who reveals and applies the wisdom of Christ to our hearts. A Scholar, John Calvin referred to prayer as “the soul of faith,” and indeed faith without prayer soon becomes lifeless. It is by prayer that we contact God. It is likewise through prayer that God communicates with mankind.
Friedrich Heiler’s Das Gebet sees six types of prayer:
Primitive prayer, Ritual prayer, Greek cultural prayer, Philosophical prayer, Mystical prayer, and Prophetic prayer.
Primitive prayer is born out of need and fear, and the request is frequently for deliverance from misfortune and danger.
Ritual prayer represents a more advanced stage of civilization, though not necessarily deeper or more meaningful prayer. Here it is the form, not the content, of the prayer which brings about the answer. Prayer is reduced to litanies (prayer, invocation, petition, supplication, and devotion) and repetitions that are often believed to have a magical effect.
Philosophical prayer signifies the dissolution of realistic or naïve prayer. Prayer now becomes reflection upon the meaning of life or resignation to the divine order of the universe. At its best, philosophical prayer includes a note of thanksgiving for the blessings of life.
According to Heiler, the two highest types of prayers are the Mystical and the Prophetic. Mysticism in its Christian context represents biblical motifs, but it is also a universal religious phenomenon. Here the aim is union with God, who is portrayed in suprapersonal terms. (Above or beyond what is personal)
For Heiler, Prophetic prayer signifies transformation of the insights of primitive religion. Now prayer is based not only on need but also on love. It is neither an incantation nor a meditation but a spontaneous outburst of emotion. Indeed, heartfelt supplication is the essence of true prayer. Prophetic prayer involves importunity (persistence)—begging and even complaining.
During prayers, belief in miracles because miracles lie at the heart of authentic Christian faith, without the miracle of the first Easter, Christianity would no doubt long since have passed from the scene and would certainly not be around to offend the “modern” man.
Biblical miracles bring the glory and love of God into bold relief, they are intended, among other things, to draw man’s attention towards the mighty acts of God.
The most significant miracle of the Old Testament is God’s action on behalf of the Hebrews in opening or parting the Red Sea as they escaped the Egyptians. This miracle is the centerpiece of Hebrew history and of Old Testament religion, and it is a demonstration of God’s power and love in action.
This emphasis on miracles as the redemptive activity of God is continued in the New Testament, where they are a part of the proclamation of the good news that God has acted on man’s behalf in the coming of Jesus Christ into history. Miracles are a manifestation of the power that God will use to restore all of creation to its proper order, to restore the image of God in man to its full expression, and to destroy death.
It should be clear then that the central miracle of New Testament religion is the resurrection of Christ. Without this miracle the early church would not have come into being, and we who live two thousand years later would no doubt never have heard of the other New Testament miracles. Indeed, we would never have heard of Jesus of Nazareth, who would have been forgotten along with hundreds of other obscure (unclear, uncertain, unknown) preachers and miracle workers who wandered about the ancient Middle East.
Blessing and peace multiplied to you and your family in Jesus’ name.
Amen!!