Gravity: I was never taught how to prayPete Greig - 18 Nov 2013

Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, hit cinemas last month and grossed a staggering £250m. With it’s tagline of “Don’t let go” it is a white-knuckle ride of suspense and desperation as the main characters are left stranded in space trying desperately to cross the void between their destroyed shuttle and the International Space Station (just watch the trailer below).

It a game-changer in cinematography, but it also raises some profound question about prayer in times of crisis.

In the middle of this film we find Ryan Stone, played by Sandra Bullock, lament about no-one ever having taught her how to pray. We may think 'that's ridiculous - prayer isn't something you LEARN - it’s instinctive! When you're hurtling towards death you don't need to do liturgy!' and of course that's true. Everyone prays. It's instinctive. In fact, a recent survey of young adults in the UK showed that 93% pray. When a plane is crashing even atheists yell 'help!' to the One they don't believe in. 

Yet prayer is also something we learn. The disciples asked Jesus 'please teach us to pray'. And who hasn't sometimes run out of words and felt helpless in prayer, late night in a Prayer Room, or sitting by a hospital bed, or staring at a sunrise, or watching the news from the Philippines right now? These things are bigger than any of us.

Sandra Bullock’s prayer as she hurtles towards death, actually, interestingly mirrors the Ignatian prayer model called Examen, in which she reflects on her life and asks God 'where were you in it?' and apologises to Him too.

Spurgeon said that prayer is an art that only the Holy Spirit can teach us. Pray - he said - until you can really pray. That's the power of Prayer Rooms. People get alone with God and learn to pray by simply cutting out the middle man and talking, or being, or even telling God that we don't really know how to talk to Him.

How many of our friends sometimes secretly feel like Sandra Bullock - lost and scared and wondering how to pray? Isn't that the reason that the film has topped the US box office for three weeks - because it echoes the deepest cries of our human condition? That, and George Clooney, of course.

Why not offer to pray for someone today? In 13 years of 24-7 prayer we've found over and over again that people who don't want to be preached at, still want to be prayed for. 

Equally, if you find yourself wanting to learn how to pray, why not check out the Prayer Course.