Called to Priesthood

Well… it’s been a while!

I’ve been a little quiet on here because, honestly, life has been lifeing. Between navigating this season, dealing with all the grown-up responsibilities that never seem to end, and just trying to keep my head above water some days, blogging has taken a bit of a back seat.

But then I heard something the other day that made me stop and think.

Apparently, some people think that multi-ethnic churches aren’t really “on fire for God” because they don’t pray enough… or loud enough.

I did not challenge that position at the time to keep the flow of the conversation, but later I thought… hold on.

Since when did volume become the measure of someone’s relationship with God?

It made me wonder whether, as Christians, we sometimes confuse culture with Scripture.

Think about it.

Some of us grew up in churches where everyone prayed at the same time. The room was loud. People were pacing. Someone was definitely praying over a microphone. Every few seconds you’d hear an “Amen!”, a “Yes, Lord!”, or someone speaking in tongues.

Others grew up in churches where prayer was much quieter. People sat in silence. There were moments of reflection. No one was trying to out-pray the person next to them.

So… which one is more spiritual or ‘powerful’?

I’d argue that’s the wrong question.

Because nowhere in Scripture does it say that the louder you pray, the closer you are to God.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m not against loud prayer. I’ve prayed loudly before. Sometimes that’s exactly what the moment calls for. But I’ve also had some of my deepest conversations with God in complete silence! I have had moments where I could not even get a word of prayer out of my mouth. I have had seasons of doubts, despair and anxiety with crippling fear. But I know God hears the groaning of my heart. The HolySpirit intercedes for me.

The Bible doesn’t give us an exact requirement for prayer.

What it does care about is our hearts.

Jesus cared about sincerity.

He cared about humility.

He cared about obedience.

The fruit of the Spirit doesn’t suddenly become louder because someone has a microphone.

And that’s what I find interesting.

Sometimes we see a church that’s expressive and assume, “Wow, the Spirit is really moving there.”

Other times we walk into a quieter church and think, “Hmm… they’re a bit dry.”

But are we making those judgments because of Scripture… or because that’s what we’re used to?

Could it be that we’re calling something “biblical” when it’s actually just familiar?

Oof.

That one challenged me too.

The Church is beautifully diverse. God is worshipped in countless languages, cultures and traditions around the world. Some believers shout. Some whisper. Some kneel. Some dance. Some sit quietly with tears rolling down their faces.

Who’s to say one expression automatically means more passion than another?

Maybe being “on fire for God” isn’t about how loudly we pray.

Maybe it’s about how deeply we love Jesus.

Maybe it’s about whether our lives look more like His.

Maybe it’s about what happens after we say “Amen.”

Anyway… those are my thoughts.

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What do you think?

I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts in the comments.