In his wonderful book, Open Secrets, Richard Lischer tells of a retired Lutheran pastor who came to visit him shortly after the elder man's wife had died. Throughout his whole ministry, he had prayed with countless people, providing a bridge between them and God. When it mattered the most though, he couldn't pray. When his wife was dying, he couldn't pray with her, as he had throughout their marriage. He didn't make a conscious decision not to pray with her, he just couldn't do it. He felt as though something had shut down inside of him, almost as though he had died spiritually. In an attempt to understand why his ability to pray had shut down, he went to visit Lischer, hoping that a fresh perspective could help him sort out his pain and his agonizing questions. He told the young pastor th…