I call it the magic carpet idea of prayer: the thought that prayer is a way of escaping from our present reality, floating away to a peaceful place before at the end of the time of prayer I have to come back to life’s worries and demands.

But this is not Christian prayer.

Christian prayer is the ultimate engagement with reality – not just my own reality, but the reality of God who meets me in the midst of whatever circumstances I experience today.

Let’s see if I can clarify what I mean.