Praying

So do you watch the Gladiators TV programme?

In it women and men, sporting amazingly toned bodies, compete against other contestants in a range of strength testing activities. You look at these gladiators who are taller, broader and stronger - you might be fooled into thinking that they are some super clans. But of course, they are not. They are instead, people who have devoted their time to exercise, training and specific muscle building diets. If you hear them talk, you will soon understand that this process is a lifestyle. They cannot choose to have a week off from training or fiddle around with their diets. They must consistently put in effort, engage with challenge, recover from setbacks and go again to maintain their body strength and health.

I am at the age where I need a few physio sessions to keep the ancient back functioning better. I have to admit that I was a bit sceptical, but after five sessions I was astounded at the difference I felt and what I could now do. Five sessions! It got me thinking about prayer and what would happen to our faith muscles and our prayer life if we only committed ourselves to five regular times of listening and speaking to God. Would we experience the same strengthening of our spiritual lives? Would we be more attuned to the whisper of God’s spirit? Indeed, does the determination of the Gladiators have something to challenge and inspire us all?

In light of this, I tried an experiment. For an hour a day I did a simple act of waiting, stilling my body, speaking to God and listening and I did indeed grow in my awareness of the presence of God. Then I noticed something else as soon as I walked away from that discipline, older habits crept back in.

So, I had to face facts. Was there a desire in my heart to be willing to stretch my faith muscles? To be committed in time and action to pray for others and for situations? And what’s more to turn this into a lifestyle? After all, if five physio sessions improved my back what would happen if my faith muscles were also strengthened?  Could this Lent be of gladiatorial significance for you? I challenge you!