Garden of Discipline: Tool of Prayer, Inspired by Imagination
What do you think of when you hear the word imagination? Imaginary friends? The Imagination Station? Does it make you feel excited or anxious? Anticipatory or cautious?
I think that Christians are sometimes suspicious of the imagination as if they need to keep a close eye on it. I’d like to propose that it is a gift from God and especially helpful for prayer! Of course, like every good and perfect gift that has come from our Father for our good and His glory, the enemy will seek to distort it and use it for our harm. But that does NOT negate the gift or its intended purpose!
Being a mother who has endured some very difficult seasons and conversations that I wouldn’t wish on anyone, my imagination can definitely be unhelpful. When my teenage daughter is later getting home than I expected or I haven’t heard from my adult son for a while, the worse sort of reasons can play across my mind with terrifying clarity. I also had to give up “scary” movies as I moved into adulthood because scenes would come back to haunt me in the wee hours.
Alternatively, imagination makes reading wonderful novels so much more fun! Who hasn’t been disappointed by a book-made-into-movie because the characters weren’t portrayed the way that the reader had clearly imagined them? On the other hand, sometimes an adaptation is so well done that the actors become the characters in your mind when you read the books. Many fans of The Chosen have expressed that reading the Gospels now has so much more color and life, the disciples have actual faces and personalities. The imagination can inspire and be inspired.
God clearly approves of us using our imaginations. Otherwise, why would He have inspired the writers of Scriptures in these ways:
They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles... (Isaiah 40:31)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. (Psalm 23:1-2)
God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer’s; He makes me tread on high places... (Habakkuk 3:19)
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield… (Psalm 18:2)
I don’t expect to actually sprout wings or grow hooves or need shearing anytime soon. And God is not an actual shepherd, rock, fortress or shield. But each of these pictures help us grasp His loving care of us in a specific way.
And then there are the MANY parables of Jesus that use the imagination to show us the character of our Heavenly Father and the quality of the Kingdom of God. Imagery like hidden pearls, prodigal sons, rocky soil, lost coins, mustard seeds, and more. These stories, through the help of the Holy Spirit, lead us into a deeper understanding of spiritual realities.
So, what does any of this have to do with prayer? It can make our prayers much more substantial, fervent and therefore effective. (James 5:16) Imagination can move us to compassion and even empathy by allowing us to feel some of the experience of those we are praying for. This practice will cause our prayers to be clearer and also more enjoyable. Instead of ticking off a list, we are spending time with each person or group of people. In Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster calls prayer a form of hospitality. You are welcoming this person or group into your heart and laboring on their behalf before Almighty God.
Need an example? Perhaps you see a social media post about an acquaintance far away who is sick and unable to work. You could (and I have) quickly prayed, “God help them!” and keep scrolling. Or your imagination can cause you to put yourself in their place and guide you to pray that their boss will be sympathetic, that their position will be secure until they are able to return to work, that money will miraculously appear in their mailbox, that close-by friends will be moved to bring a meal. That might cause you to realize that you could send them an electronic gift card with a note of encouragement. And just like that, your heart has been moved to compassion and action AND you’ve become part of the answer to your own prayer. Also, once you’ve engaged your imagination to this extent, you are much more likely to continue praying for that person or situation in the coming days and weeks, who you might otherwise have quickly forgotten.
Let’s not fear our imaginations. Go ahead and take every thought captive to obey Christ, as 2 Corinthians 10:5 admonishes. But then allow your imagination to inspire compassion and sympathy for the precious Image Bearers that surround us. We’ve all been told not to judge someone until we’ve walked a mile in their shoes. Our imaginations can help us do that from our own armchair. But rather than looking for a judgement justification, use your new-found insight to pray more intensely, thoroughly and faithfully!
