Countries with a large religious population are often characterized by ignorance, dictatorship, diseases, and poor social conditions where religion thrives. Conversely, in places where reason, rationality, and social welfare systems are well-established, the religious population decreases. Therefore, religion actually flourishes in areas marked by ignorance, misunderstanding, and unethical circumstances. I feel a strong urge to criticize the attitude of those who speak in a somewhat indifferent or dismissive manner, failing to fully empathize with the heartfelt pleas of people who, in their desperation, cry out to God in prayer. We can ask God for help. It is said that those in pain should pray, and if they have a need, they should pray. There is no limit to the prayers we can make. Through understanding who we are, who God is, and what we are asking for, we can grow spiritually. Ultimately, this is about the Western experience following the Renaissance and the Reformation.

As the ideas of the Enlightenment arose, a kind of prophecy emerged. The so-called Enlightenment thinkers predicted that as human reason developed, human rationality would also develop, and with the development of reason, rationality, and ethics, social systems would become complete. They foretold that the superstition of religion would gradually disappear. I often refer to this as a myth of reason because it has yet to be realized. According to major statistics, such as those from Pew Research, it is projected that by 2050, the number of religious individuals will either remain stable or increase in relation to the global population. Conversely, some statistics suggest that the number of atheists and non-religious individuals may actually decrease. Generally, the statistics convey this message. When discussing this, some might respond by saying that we should compare regions with high religious populations to those with low religious populations. In areas with a high number of religious individuals,

Ignorance, dictatorial regimes, diseases, and poor social environments lead to the flourishing of religion. Conversely, in societies where reason, rationality, and social welfare systems are well-established, the religious population declines. Therefore, religion thrives in environments characterized by ignorance, misunderstanding, and, in some cases, unethical conditions. Religion exists in such unfavorable circumstances. This argument highlights that religion remains in places where ignorance and suffering prevail, being the last refuge for those who endure pain. When people no longer have faith in the conscience, reason, ethics, or society, religion stays with those who are suffering, caring for the lives of the masses. Even if it is lacking or flawed in some way, that is what religion does. It aims to remain with humanity until the very last breath. I would like to express this perspective, in contrast to the mythological and prophetic views.

When people talk about this, they say that as human rationality, reason, and ethics develop, humans will have enough to be satisfied, so their prayer practices will decrease. In fact, when we are full, we do not pray for food, and when we have enough clothes to keep warm, we don’t feel the need to ask for more clothes. So, they say that the act of praying itself will gradually diminish. However, I want to criticize the attitude of those who, living in a highly developed society with ample economic comfort and having learned enough, speak in a somewhat indifferent or relaxed manner. While there is some truth to their words, they fail to fully empathize with and understand the feelings and situations of those who pray to God in desperation, crying out for help when they have nowhere else to turn. In the Bible, God tells us to ask freely.

When you speak, for example, you know Matthew 7 well, right? In Matthew 7, there is a famous verse that we all know. I translated that verse, so let me read it to you. Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. It says like this. When society cannot provide solutions, and friends, family, or the rationality, reason, ethics, or social systems of the area where I live cannot protect us at all, the last remaining strength is to cry out to that being, the object of our prayers. Who says that the voice of prayer is strange or bad? Jesus also does not harshly dismiss the importance and earnestness of such prayers. In James 5, starting from verse 13, it is written like this.

Is there someone among you who is suffering? If so, pray. Is there anyone among you who is sick? They should call the elders of the church, and they will pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. In verse 16, it says that you should confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed, for the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Therefore, the prayers that Christians offer to God for themselves are never in vain. God is moved by the earnestness of those prayers, and He leads us to provide a helping hand, words of comfort, and encouragement to those who are suffering. I believe that He sends healing hands. However, if our prayers are limited to just asking for what we want, then it is only the surface of prayer. I know it sounds a bit strange to say that, but the meaning of prayer in the church and in the Christian tradition, as Jesus taught us, is much deeper.

In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 7, and in the book of James, it is explained how we should pray and ask. When we pray, there is the one who asks, the content of the request, and the one we are asking. But think about it; even in our daily lives, when I ask someone for something, I consider who I am, what I am asking for, and my perception of the other person. For example, let's say I have a son. I cannot go to the teacher who evaluates my son's grades and say, Please raise my son's score from 50 to 80. It is absolutely impossible. Why? Because I am not someone who should do that. Furthermore, the teacher has the duty to evaluate students fairly, equitably, and correctly. It is not appropriate for someone to come and demand...

We should not fulfill requests simply because someone offers financial benefits or claims to be friendly. The same applies to the content of the requests. For example, if I go to a teacher and say, My son is struggling a bit. Teacher, you must treat all students equally, but please don’t be too harsh on my son; I hope you can look after him a little, that is reasonable. However, asking for an improvement in his grades is not acceptable. 

Now, there is a second step to prayer. We can ask God. He said to ask, to knock on the door, and to seek. He instructed us to pray for those who are suffering and to pray for the sick. We are able to ask. If we think more deeply about prayer, it becomes important to consider who we are asking and what we are asking for. Who am I in this request? In Matthew 7, which we read earlier, Jesus...

Next, when a son asks his father for bread, it begins like this: When we ask God, we do so as sons and daughters. Regardless of whether we are someone's son or daughter, there are things we can ask from our father or mother, and there are things we cannot ask in front of our parents. For example, it would be inappropriate for a son to go to his father and say, Dad, could you do this or that for me? if it is something illegal. That would be disappointing for the father. Such a conversation would lead the father to reflect on how he raised his child. We also cannot threaten our father by saying, It won't be fun if you do this. When we ask our father for something, we are asking from someone who is righteous, who guides us, and who expects us to live a meaningful, dignified, and beautiful life. And we are to ask from our father with that understanding.

Resources, whether they are money, positions, or conveniences, should not be forced upon the father; rather, we should humbly seek his grace. It is not appropriate to threaten or coerce the father to obtain what we want. Similarly, there are things we should ask for and things we should not ask for from our father. There are also requests that we can make to our mother and those we cannot. For example, when a young child asks, Mom, can I have some food? the mother is happy because it is her child who is hungry. However, if the child asks for something unreasonable, like Mom, can I have a knife? the mother will not grant that request. The second step of prayer is understanding who I am as the one praying, who God is as the one being prayed to, and what the content of the prayer is. This is emphasized in Matthew 7, which we just read. As a son, asking the father for bread means asking for sustenance.

In James 5, it is written that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. This refers to prayers offered by those who have a right relationship with God. When we request something from the Father, the prayers that are heard are those that align with His character and truth. No matter how much we plead, the Father will not grant requests that contradict His principles and nature. Therefore, as seen in Isaiah 65:16, it states that those who seek blessings for themselves on earth will seek blessings from the God of truth. This indicates that we can indeed ask for blessings for ourselves, just as children can ask their parents for help. However, Isaiah emphasizes that we must seek these blessings from the God of truth. Thus, among Christian nations, there is a mutual understanding.

When it comes to war, how could God listen to a prayer asking to kill each other in His name? The phrase asking for blessings from the God of truth weighs heavily on us. In the Lord's Prayer, as taught in Matthew 6, He says, When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. This means that entering your home is, in a way, a way to disconnect from society and oneself. But going into the inner room means hiding oneself even further. Moreover, by closing the door to that room, one is no longer just a member of society or a family member; instead, they become someone who is alone in that space, invoking the thoughts of Kierkegaard.

As an individual, I stand before God. I remove all the labels that have been placed upon me throughout my life—titles, positions, gender—everything. I come solely as a pure human being before God. At that moment, when I face the God who is hidden, the content of my plea is very precisely limited. It is confined to what the hidden God sees, and as the stripped-down version of myself stands before Him, the prayers I can offer in that secret place are limited. Then, Jesus speaks about the attitude of prayer. He advises not to repeat empty words like the Gentiles do. This is akin to casting a spell. We often think that the mere act of speaking holds power, as if we can use words to manipulate a deity into doing what we want. This is a superstitious form of faith, a magical prayer, and Jesus tells us not to engage in that. God is not one who is swayed by many words.

I think God is not someone we can cast spells in front of. Then, how does it say? It says that your Father knows what you need before you ask. This is an important statement. So, when you go into your room and shut the door, you are already before God, who knows what you need. At that moment, what can you pray about? God, who was I before you? Who do I want to become? Who do you want me to be before you? Those are the prayers that you cannot help but make. Then, it tells us how to pray. If we were to discuss the Lord's Prayer, it would take a long time, but to keep it short and relevant to today's topic, look at the content of what we ask for. At the beginning, it says, As in heaven, so on earth, that His name, His kingdom, and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Let Your kingdom come, and let Your will be done. I desire to see God's glory here as well. That is the essence of my prayer. When I enter my private room and stand alone before God, I am told to ask for my daily needs. What do I ask for? I ask for the food I need for the day; that is something God must provide. I can ask for it while standing alone. 

I have mentioned before that we can also ask for forgiveness of our debts. As I said previously, debt was a significant issue not only today but also in the first century during Jesus' time. Debt was a serious problem, often involving high-interest loans. It can devastate our lives, and no matter how hard we work, the debt seems to grow. I pray for relief from this debt, and I also pray for a change in the social and systemic structures that contribute to this issue.

Then, please do not lead us into temptation. This is a plea before God. Just like Jesus was tempted by Satan, we really want to avoid those trials. I can't express how grateful I am that we can pray for that. Next, in previous translations, it says, Deliver us from evil. This can also be translated as, Please rescue us from evil people. We can pray for that too. It is something we can bring before God as individuals. God, you must provide us with our daily bread. Even if we live diligently, we are surviving in a system that barely allows us to get by. You need to fix this societal system. If we are always put in situations where our identity is tested, it makes it really hard for us to live. We can pray for that, and finally, deliver us from evil people.

Many people talk about how we can pray in a healthy way. While many have shared their thoughts on this, if I express it in my own way, ultimately, prayer is the flower of our faith, and through prayer, we become the people God wants us to be. Through prayer, we may ask God for certain things, but through prayer, we also receive what God requests from us. We often say that prayer is a conversation of the soul, a dialogue between the soul and God. However, most of our conversations with God end without truly listening to His words. Yet, God has requests for us. What does He request? Like His children, like the disciples of Jesus, He tells us that we can engage with Him. Therefore, I look at the debate between the Sadducees and Jesus in Matthew 22.

If you look there, the Sadducees came, and the Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection or in angels. They came to argue. There were seven brothers and one woman. This woman married the first brother, but he died without having children. Then she married the second brother and had a child, which should be considered as the first brother's child. However, the second brother also died, as did the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh brothers. The Sadducees then asked a rather terrifying question: In the resurrection, whose wife will the woman be? This is commonly translated, but if translated literally, it would be In the resurrection, whose possession will the woman be? All the brothers claimed her. In the minds of the Sadducees, what is important even at the time of resurrection is what I possess. So, things must be different in the resurrection, as this woman had seven husbands.

Is the world becoming one where we choose just one? No, it's not about ownership. During the resurrection, Jesus says that in the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage, but will be like the angels in heaven. What does that mean? Marriage is the strongest connection between one person and another, a bond that cannot be broken. In the resurrection, humans will not be bound to or connected with other humans, but will exist like angels, able to be in constant fellowship with God. This is what God desires for us—to be in a state where we can always be with Him. 

Through prayer, we ask for many things. When we are sick or in pain, we can pray to God. The Lord's Prayer teaches us about these things. When we are in need, due to a flawed social system, when evil people oppress us, and in many other situations...

You can pray to be delivered from trials that prove you are a daughter of God. However, the most important aspect of prayer is not what I ask for, but rather what I become by listening to God's word. Therefore, I can make any requests in prayer, and through understanding who I am, who God is, and what I do, I can grow and ultimately become a being who, like the angels in heaven, can live with God without getting married or owning a house. This is the ultimate goal of prayer.

나에 대해 다 아는 분, 하나님께는 어떻게 기도해야 할까요?ㅣ김학철 교수ㅣ잘잘법 186회

'잘 믿고 잘 사는 법'은 CBS가 만드는 삶과 신앙에 관한 이야기입니다. 
사소한 것에서부터 진지한 의미까지, 
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하나님의 뜻을 완벽하게 아는 것은 불가능할지도 모릅니다.
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