Prayer by Grace

I'm reading Henri Nouwen's book Reaching Out. In one section he talks about prayer as a gift.

I like that.

It's easy to think of prayer as a discipline--something we do to make something happen. It's easy to think of prayer as part of our daily "to do" list--"read your bible and pray every day and grow, grow, grow." But when we reduce prayer to just that--a thing we do--prayer tends to become a very heavy burden. It becomes very difficult to sustain.

Maybe that's why, for most of us anyway, a consistent prayer life is difficult. It has become a duty... a chore. Even if it is something we love to do... even if it is something we desire with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength... when it is only a discipline we do, it become dry and sterile and ineffective.

But if we were to include the notion that prayer is a gift--it is "God's breathing in us, by which we become part of the intimacy of God's inner life" (Nouwen), all of a sudden prayer become liberating... life-giving... prayer becomes not only a means of grace, but grace itself.

We like to talk in terms of being saved by grace, not by works. Well, why not pray by grace, not by works? Prayer by grace would be prayer that is our response to God, not something we initiate. Prayer by grace would be we are entering in on what God is already about (and doing). Prayer by grace would be answering God, not simply telling God. Prayer by grace would be about surrender.