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By: Pastor Peter Schlicht

Cal Newport wrote a book called Deep Work. Inside, the pages are filled with a simple yet vital truth: We need to go deep. Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. Going deep on a project or pursuit will provide a sense of true fulfillment and satisfaction. In this way creativity and progress are produced, not by working more, but by going deep. In short, deep work is like a super power these days. It doesn’t require any other people, it can be done at home, it is free. And yet, most people have lost the ability to go deep—spending their days instead in a frantic blur of email and social media, not even realizing there’s a better way.

In the age of information, perhaps one of the most overlooked maladies of the human heart is the shallowness of our experience. No, I’m not saying that we are all only interested in the epidermis of people, projects, and ideas. But we have such an incredible amount of information coming at us that even getting the sparknotes version is difficult. We don’t have time to thoughtfully consider what we read or watch. Excess information—good or bad, the abundance of distraction, and the daily demands of life all gang up to keep us from going deep. Even in a time of mandated social-distancing where we are forced to stay at home, even when people feel bored, it is still difficult to practice going deep.

When was the last time you went deep in prayer? I don’t mean out loud. I don’t mean over dinner. I mean, when was the last time you literally sat down with the express purpose of simply talking to God by yourself? I think prayer for many Christians becomes a burden because they aren’t doing it as much as they’d like to, or at all, and yet they know it is an important part of the Christian life. I struggle with this too. Yes, a pastor’s confession, I do not pray as I should and as much as I’d like either. I can talk about the kids running around, or the constant stream of calls and emails, the counselling, the sermons, etc. But in the end, it is a matter of priority, not time. We need to be ruthless. What have you placed over personal prayer in your life? Deep work is important for any meaningful pursuit, but I find it particularly applies to personal prayer. 

Now let me be clear: public prayer is wonderful, prayer before meals giving thanks to God is beautiful, short prayers are great! Paul tells us to pray and petition God with thanksgiving in any situation (Phil 4:6). Not every prayer needs to be personal and private. But there is a Biblical precedent for going deep in personal prayer. Jesus often retreated from the crowds to pray like this. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35). This verse, so early in Jesus’ ministry, gives the first of many examples of personal private prayer in his life. The Gospels, Mark and Luke in particular, often note Jesus going off for personal prayer: After the multiplication of loaves (Mark 4:6); Immediately before choosing his twelve apostles (Luke 6:12); Before Peter’s profession of faith that Jesus is the Christ (Luke 9:18); Immediately before the Transfiguration (Luke 9:28); Before teaching the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1); Before his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-45; Mark 14:32-41; Luke 22:39-46). Coming from his own experience of personal prayer, Jesus teaches his disciples to do the same: And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:5-6). Deep personal prayer was a regular part of Jesus’ life and has been a regular part of the lives of mature Christians throughout the ages. Make it a regular part of your life too.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll need a minimum of 15-30 minutes to go deep in prayer. In the first few minutes, I silence my phone, relax, and get in a comfortable place mentally. Then I need to focus on talking to God, not simply think about things with myself. Do you understand the distinction? There’s a difference between thinking about our spiritual lives in quiet and actually talking to God. But this is where the rubber of faith hits the road of practice. We actually talk to God because we truly believe in him. We trust that he hears us and is at work in our hearts and lives. It takes a little time to talk to God, to get over the awkwardness, the dipping in and out of concentration, to go deep. Maybe you won’t be able to protect time every day, but work on finding a rhythm of deep prayer, of dedicated time to be alone with God. You will be blessed. You will have satisfaction. You will find that the precious minutes you carve out of your busy day to go deep in prayer are the most productive minutes you could ever spend. 

I thank Jesus for praying for me before the throne of his Father. For all the times I’ve neglected the privilege of prayer, he intercedes on my behalf. And even now, as imperfect as your prayer life may be, in Jesus’ name, come with confidence before your Father in heaven. Go to your room, close the door, shut off the music, silence the phone…and talk to your God. He loves to listen.

 [This is Personal Prayer Part 1 of 3. Part 2 will focus on personal prayer as a conversation and Part 3 will answer the question, “What should I talk about?”. Stay tuned and thanks for reading.]