Ever prayed with a person or a group of people whose most commonly used petitionary word is 'wejus' - as in 'Lord wejus want to come before you... wejus want to thank you... wejus... wejus... wejus...?'

When I was a younger Christian I prayed like this, but over the years it has become somewhat annoying. I mean, I don't talk to anyone else like this, much less someone I am interested in impressing. What if I were called to lead a group of pastors to the Oval Office to petition for, say, better health care for the poor, a decrease in military spending or a more equitable tax scheme, would the president take me very seriously if my petitions were as heavily peppered with, 'wejus....'?

The fundamental problem I have with 'wejus' praying is its flawed soteriology - what it says about the saving work of Christ. A major theme of 1979 Book of Common Prayer worship, expressed plainly in Eucharistic Rite II, Prayer B tells us we are, 'worthy to stand before you' - suggesting our relationship with God is as one who joyfully receives a gracious gift given in spite of our shortcomings. No, we do not deserve to belong to Christ, we have sinned grievously and repetitively. However, we are saved, forgiven, and able to, 'approach the throne boldly' (Hebrews 4:16) if we believe what we say we believe. Thus, we really ought to act like this, especially in public petition. 'Wejus' praying seems to suggest a profoundly unbiblical understanding of this salvation. While I admire, and perhaps need to model, the humility attempted in this style of petition, I wonder if it is misplaced and needs to be thought through by the petitioner.

What's more, 'wejus' praying sounds disingenuous, as if our petitions are to be answered because we have taken on some sort of faux-humble vocabulary, when we know that our petitions are not met because of what we've done, or even who we are, but because of who God is.

So if you are a 'wejus' person, I am not trying to make you angry - and I apologize if I have offended you - however I am asking you to think through how you approach the Almighty in public prayer. When God gave us this amazing gift of Jesus it was not to turn us into endless penitents, but victorious saints whose words of public petition ought to create an atmosphere of gracious invitation and boundless possibility, which seems to be much more in keeping with the personality of the God of the Bible. It makes me think that more people who pray in public might want to think this through.