Oh, Lord won’tcha buy me a Mercedes Benz. My friends all have Porches, I must make amends.
THAT IS NOT PRAYER!
Many believe prayer is asking for things and expecting to get them. That is an element of prayer. John 14: 13 does say “whatever you ask…. I will give it…” Yep, it says that alright. And there are many stories where a person has asked God for something and God has supplied. But that is not what prayer is all about.
Let’s look at those dots. John 14:13 goes on to say: Whatever you ask IN MY NAME I will give it…. So when we ask in His name He will give it. That doesn’t mean you just tack on those three words and God is obligated. Nope that doesn’t cut it either.
Since we now live our life for God our priorities begin to change, not all at once, or overnight, but they do change. The desire for more toys and more money to buy more toys isn’t as strong. The way we live our lives takes a different direction.
Now we start to ask “Lord, help me to live a life that is pleasing to You” What we ask IN HIS NAME comes more into focus.
The last of the dots says THAT THE FATHER MAY BE GLORIFIED. Now that really changes things. We not only ask in Jesus name, a new accountability But that our Father may be glorified, a new direction.
More on prayer tomorrow…. If it comes
Prayer is a difficult thing for me. Not so much in talking to God, I do that all of the time, and I am a very thankful person, giving thanks with a grateful heart for the many blessings in my life. Even my struggles are growing points, and I am thankful both for the struggle, and for God getting me through the struggle, but the prayers in asking for things?
We already know that God is omniscient, He knows everything that has happened between now and eternity past, and He knows everything that will happen between now and infinity future. It was all divinely planned ages before He ever spoke the words of Genesis 1:1.
We, as believers, also know that God has a reason for everything “we” see as detrimental. In all things, God is good, and God is good in all things. So what happens when we, as believers, see something we feel God should change?
Let us say, congregation member Joe Blow Smith has developed an aggressive cancer. Of course, the Church is going to want to pray in God’s name for His divine intervention, but let us go back to the plan; God is in control of ALL things, and nothing happens outside of His will.
– Maybe Joe is too devoted to his career, and this cancer is going to make him realize that his family should be his #1 priority?
– Maybe Joe is a healthy, muscular man, and God is going to teach Joe that his strength is in God, not bodily health that can be easily removed?
– Maybe Joe’s grandson is not a believer, and seeing Joe lean upon God through this cancer is what the grandson needs to see in order to come to Christ himself?
Because God is omniscient and in full control of every happening on Earth (and beyond), and everything that happens, happens for a reason, then even an aggressive cancer is merely a tool that God is using, something that was planned out long before Joe’s first breath was taken. Certainly, God knew that Joe was going to develop this cancer, He knew the reason why and how He was going to use this cancer to further His divine plan. He also knows whether or not Joe will recover, and why. Maybe Joe’s grandson will be so moved by Joe’s passing that he will dedicate his career to fighting cancer and there will be a Joseph Blow Smith cancer center in another decade?
Yet despite all of this, the Church is going to attempt to side step GOD’S control and wisdom and instead pray earnestly in His name that all of those plans be thrown out and Joe be healed, because it is the “happy” that “we” want to see in the world.
If God has determined that something IS going to happen, for a reason that HE sees, He is “not” going to change this plan simply because I and two others have gathered in His name and heartfully asked for it to be changed.
This is where my mind struggles with prayer. In my eyes, I seem more a nuisance than a truly trusting believer. Thankful prayers, no problems at all, prayers to put “my” will in the driver’s seat, not so much…
God told us to pray. In the Lord’s prayer the example Jesus gave us. We are to pray that God will supply our daily needs. I suppose we could even ask for whole wheat bread as opposed to rye bread. But we are told to pray.
Jesus told us to pray for our the peace of Israel, to pray for our leaders. He told us to pray that God would send workers into the harvest. Luke 18:1 says men ought always to pray. What do we do with that? There are many occasions where God did supply things in answer to prayer. But prayer is indeed more that that.
Prayer is communication with our Lord. Is Joe Blow your best friend? How are you going to talk to God about your best friend? I admit I have the same thoughts when I pray for a healing. But I know of two recent events where God has healed in response to prayer. Would God have healed anyway? I don’t know.
My prayer life has definitely changed over the years. I pray more for a person’s salvation and a deeper relationship with the Father than anything else.
But I love people so I do pray for them.
Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:3-6 is a biblical prayer that I pray a lot.
WE trust the God will carry out His ultimate plan. That is what we want after all. Maybe God wants us to pray