{"id":912,"date":"2011-07-31T06:44:46","date_gmt":"2011-07-31T10:44:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/activistfaith\/?p=912"},"modified":"2011-07-29T09:48:15","modified_gmt":"2011-07-29T13:48:15","slug":"my-take-the-nascar-prayer-with-autotuned-prayer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/activistfaith\/2011\/07\/my-take-the-nascar-prayer-with-autotuned-prayer.html","title":{"rendered":"My Take: The NASCAR Prayer [with Autotuned Prayer]"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a>[In case you missed it Friday! With new autotuned version.]<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not often a prayer makes national news. Or that it would be viewed over 1.5 million times on YouTube. But Pastor Joe Helms\u2019 recent NASCAR prayer has everyone talking\u2013and many laughing\u2013at how people talk with God.<\/p>\n

Of course, not everyone is smiling. Many religious people find the humorous nature of the prayer offensive and perhaps rightly so. I don\u2019t remember any product endorsements in the Lord\u2019s Prayer and doubt the Apostle Peter would have include any prayer references to his \u201csmoking hot wife<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

But there is another way to look at the issue: whether you like it or not, Helms\u2019 Ricky Bobby-like intercession has people talking about prayer, an issue at the very heart of the Christian faith.<\/p>\n

But what is prayer, really? The biblical perspective reflects prayer as a conversation with God. However, unlike what YouTube<\/a> might call \u201cthe best prayer ever<\/a>,\u201d Christian prayer takes the form of a servant speaking with his or her leader rather than a flippant, joking attitude used to get attention. This practice of prayers for public display is at least as old as the Pharisees of Jesus\u2019 day, spiritual leaders Jesus condemned for using this spiritual practice to make themselves look good rather than to humbly communicate with God.<\/p>\n