How Does Death Change Prayer?

Death changes our prayer life. What revisions occurred in Lazarus’ prayer life after he spent four days in his tomb? How would time on the other side of life’s great divide inform your conversations with God?

Perspectives of Life

Life alters our perspective as we change our position and location. In childhood, limitations restrict our sight as well as our understanding. Age and experience shape perception differently. Cultural prejudices reveal biases we may overlook. How can four days in the land beyond frame our communication with the Lord of life and death?

Realities of Prayer

Here, on my best days, irrelevant thoughts fly into my mind as I seek to focus. Recent yesterdays mingle with their remote cousins to disrupt my thinking before considering today’s challenges or tomorrow’s concerns. The desire to please God with my designated prayer habit fails to hide the urgency of my neediness. And why do I forget my foibles but dwell on the slights and sins of others?

Changes in Death

Indeed, Lazarus’ tomb time transformed his communication with the Father. But we do not know the details. We can only speculate. How different our decisions look when we lose someone we love. Had we known, we would have handled the fleeting hours differently. How did Lazarus’ death experience reframe impatience and frustration with his sisters? How did he discover God’s presence in the incidentals and interruptions filling our hours? Did his soul searching uncover heretofore unknown bridges connecting attitudes and actions with the Author of life? What did his venture on the other side teach him about the melody of praise?

The Bible gives many answers. And this Holy Word leaves us with unnumbered questions. Nevertheless, pondering the unanswerables can open new doors to rich discoveries in our time with God. Sit back. Get quiet. Take a long look at your prayer life from the perspective of the other side. There is more to our little visits with God than you might imagine.