As a part of Crash’s January series, “I don’t know where to start”, Maxie Burch answered the question, “What is prayer?”. Maxie shared very pointedly and directly that sometimes our approach to prayer looks an awful lot like the way cable infomercials approach fitness and dieting (as presented in this video montage).

Maxie’s brainchild, PrayerWow!, is an example of this.

He went on to share some incredible stuff related to prayer and an anti-formulaic approach to this central discipline of our faith.

-Like the Scriptures, prayer is about transformation, not accumulating more information.
-Prayer is expecting God to be present and engaged with us.
-The most common question is hear is “how do I know God is speaking to me?”
-We ask that question because prayer, for us, is about getting answers.
-If you are always talking, it is going to be impossible to differentiate between your voice and God’s.
-I bring my personal communication skills into my prayer experience. If you aren’t a good listener, prayer doesn’t change that.
-God may not speak for a long time; how long are you willing to wait?
-Silence is prayer in the presence of God.
-Are you looking for answers or God’s presence?
-What kind of relationship do you want with God?
-What kind of relationship does God want with you?

You can download and listen to the podcast on iTunes later this week.