Last night, I bowled.  Despite bowling poorly and narrowly escaping asphyxiation from nearby smokers, I had an enjoyable evening.  At one point, a conversation turned to the remarkably universal practice of waving, shouting or wiggling oneself at a just-released bowling ball in the attempt to make it move where you want it.  A friend confessed to me that as a child she would actually pray for the bowling ball as it rolled down the lane.  Is that a good prayer to pray?

I suggested that that was a fine prayer to pray.  After all, God delights in hearing his children bring concerns to him – even ‘inconsequential’ ones.  When we pray, we express our trust, and that pleases the Lord!

Further, God is sovereign and his rule over the world includes bowling pins.  Sound silly?  Perhaps, but not nearly as silly as the idea of a God who ignores his children because “bowling is silly.”  [Another thought came to me as I thought further on this: bowling pins matter to God because we react to bowling pins, and our reactions matter to God.]

This morning I read the story of Abraham’s prayer for Sodom and Gomorrah in Gen. 18.22-33.  If you come to that passage with a “real Christianity means always praying precisely the words of Scripture in perfect conformity with God’s will and in complete submission to God” perspective, you might be disappointed with the way Abraham prays.

God openly tells him about Sodom’s coming destruction, but Abraham doesn’t bow and say how wonderful and mighty God’s justice is.  He actually asks God not to do that judgment, but to “do right” instead.  And if that “contradiction of God’s Word” isn’t enough, Abraham goes on to bargain with God through five more rounds of “what if” and “please don’t.”  Abraham doesn’t pray like a seminarian or a powerful pulpiteer might.  He just keeps begging God’s mercy.

And God is pleased.

There is no strict comparison of Abraham’s prayer with “an exclusive emphasis on spiritual needs in the Pauline prayers” or any condemnation of his almost-badgering petition.  The prayer is simple – too simple by today’s standards – but it is a prayer that God answers.  God patiently listens while his chosen servant Abraham pleads for mercy on his foolish nephew.  And when Abraham makes his final request, God says, “Yes.”

Theological precision in prayer is commendable.  Studying the prayers of the Bible and sincerely repeating their words and thoughts to God is helpful.  But there is no substitute for humbly bowing before God and persistently pleading for his mercy.  The simplicity of a child’s trust is what delights God’s heart when we pray!