Saunders: Phenomenology of Prayer Blog #6

Paul mentions in Philippians 2 that Jesus Christ is “taking the form of a slave” when he prays, meaning he is emptying of the self, or kenosis. This kenotic posture plays a transcendental function. It allows for a person to be able to partake in the five dimensions of prayer: praise, thanksgiving, confession, petition, and intercession. It changes a person’s approach to them, ridding of one’s self. When praying, a person in a kenotic posture asks for forgiveness in order to become more decentered. We are concerned with His will, His ways, and His will.

Westphal goes on to say that there are two types of speech acts that God gives us: promises and commands; both of these speech acts are decentering. The grace that God promises His people allows us to understand and know that we are not the creators of this life but rather the created. The command that God gives us through His law allows His people to understand and know that we are not the smartest, most intellectual beings, and that our ways are just simply not the best ways. These give us a goal of knowing God more everyday while dying to our self everyday as well. A good example of this is when Mary prays to God while possibly thinking of Job’s patience in times of trial, saying “let it be according to Your word”.

When we know God, we are called according to His purpose (Romans 8), and not our own. We are to lean not on our own understanding, but instead hold to the truth of God’s word. Following God calls for the decentering of self, for a kenotic posture in all of life, not just a specific aspect of it. Selfishness becomes a thing of the past, and servitude becomes a part of everyday life. We are to empty ourselves before the True King, entering as in the form of a slave without reservation.

Jesus Christ is the example of what a kenotic posture looks like. He emptied and humbled Himself, being carried to the cross, and ultimately facing death. This is the form of kenosis that each Christian should be living by. Not simply ridding one’s self of food in order to fast for one day. No, but rather we are to go about each morning, ridding of our self, and seeking to become more like Jesus in every aspect of life.

Prayer is the ultimate task of decentering one’s self, of kenosis, and it is also the task of a lifetime.