By definition, Christians are flawed sinners, in need of redemption and grace. While we strive to follow our Savior's example, we constantly fail, and find ourselves in need of grace. Nowhere is this more true than in the matter of prayer.
Of course, too often we treat prayer time as a laundry list for Santa God. Give me this.... I need.... Please make....
We treat God as a spiritual conjurer, hoping he will pull our rabbit out of his hat with little thought about his higher knowledge of our needs. We indulge ourselves with a sort of hope against hope attitude that he will fulfill our want of the moment, uttered without the certainty that it is really in our best interests, or even what we should actually be praying for.
In Matthew 21, verse 22, we are told,
But what does that really mean for us? Will our every whim be indulged? After all, it says right there in the Bible that we will receive whatever we ask for in prayer.
Three little words, IF you believe, condition that expectation, and reveal our humanness once again. We are commanded to pray confidently, because our God will listen to each one of us and not only answer us, but provide for our every need. Our failing is not in the lack of requests, but rather, in lack of faith.
I know there will be those who point out that this bold statement makes it seem like a criticism of those who have prayed for a miracle of healing or restoration and been denied. How do we reconcile the fact that sometimes prayers appear to go unanswered, or that they are answered in a way we didn't want, no matter how much we believed or how fervently we asked?
We have all seen examples of this, and it is difficult to understand. I think this is a deep root of our disbelief, and all too often effective ammunition for those who would tempt us away from our faith. We understand that an innocent child dying of cancer or other illness was not the fault of the parents not praying hard enough. Financial ruin does not come because we simply failed in our quest to pray more sincerely. Success or failure in life is not due to prayer or lack thereof.
Satan is sent to tempt us with doubt and fear. We become confused about how to pray, and what we should ask for, leading to a lack of confidence in our requests. All too often, in fact, we have certain knowledge that what we are asking for is not the best thing, either for ourselves, or for the person on whose behalf we are praying. We may deceive ourselves, but we can never deceive our Lord and Savior.
God, who is all seeing and all knowing, understands what lies behind each selfish request. When we trust in him, he will find the underlying truth and answer the real expectation. Just as a parent puts a child to bed even as they insist they are not tired, knowing that bedtime is exactly what they need, God will put our well being, and that of those we love, above the superficial prayer of the moment, even when that is in conflict.
That is my answer to the dichotomy of prayer that appears to go unfulfilled, even when we have prayed in earnest. I do not always know what I want, nor do I know what is going to be best. God is all seeing and all knowing, and he will find the answer that will serve me (or the subject of my prayer) best.
My lack of faith, as evidenced by my surprise when God answers my prayers, is part of my human nature. But throughout my life, every prayer has been answered, and when I allow myself to give over to God the outcome, it is always exactly what was best, even if I didn't see it at the time. I may not always pray with confidence, but I am secure in the knowledge that God will answer the prayer of my heart, even if I get the words wrong.
Thy will be done is the most powerful prayer there is. When I don't trust my own heart, I can always trust God. That is one prayer that is answered each and every day.
We treat God as a spiritual conjurer, hoping he will pull our rabbit out of his hat with little thought about his higher knowledge of our needs. We indulge ourselves with a sort of hope against hope attitude that he will fulfill our want of the moment, uttered without the certainty that it is really in our best interests, or even what we should actually be praying for.
In Matthew 21, verse 22, we are told,
"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
But what does that really mean for us? Will our every whim be indulged? After all, it says right there in the Bible that we will receive whatever we ask for in prayer.
Three little words, IF you believe, condition that expectation, and reveal our humanness once again. We are commanded to pray confidently, because our God will listen to each one of us and not only answer us, but provide for our every need. Our failing is not in the lack of requests, but rather, in lack of faith.
I know there will be those who point out that this bold statement makes it seem like a criticism of those who have prayed for a miracle of healing or restoration and been denied. How do we reconcile the fact that sometimes prayers appear to go unanswered, or that they are answered in a way we didn't want, no matter how much we believed or how fervently we asked?
We have all seen examples of this, and it is difficult to understand. I think this is a deep root of our disbelief, and all too often effective ammunition for those who would tempt us away from our faith. We understand that an innocent child dying of cancer or other illness was not the fault of the parents not praying hard enough. Financial ruin does not come because we simply failed in our quest to pray more sincerely. Success or failure in life is not due to prayer or lack thereof.
Satan is sent to tempt us with doubt and fear. We become confused about how to pray, and what we should ask for, leading to a lack of confidence in our requests. All too often, in fact, we have certain knowledge that what we are asking for is not the best thing, either for ourselves, or for the person on whose behalf we are praying. We may deceive ourselves, but we can never deceive our Lord and Savior.
God, who is all seeing and all knowing, understands what lies behind each selfish request. When we trust in him, he will find the underlying truth and answer the real expectation. Just as a parent puts a child to bed even as they insist they are not tired, knowing that bedtime is exactly what they need, God will put our well being, and that of those we love, above the superficial prayer of the moment, even when that is in conflict.
That is my answer to the dichotomy of prayer that appears to go unfulfilled, even when we have prayed in earnest. I do not always know what I want, nor do I know what is going to be best. God is all seeing and all knowing, and he will find the answer that will serve me (or the subject of my prayer) best.
My lack of faith, as evidenced by my surprise when God answers my prayers, is part of my human nature. But throughout my life, every prayer has been answered, and when I allow myself to give over to God the outcome, it is always exactly what was best, even if I didn't see it at the time. I may not always pray with confidence, but I am secure in the knowledge that God will answer the prayer of my heart, even if I get the words wrong.
Thy will be done is the most powerful prayer there is. When I don't trust my own heart, I can always trust God. That is one prayer that is answered each and every day.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please feel free to join the journey. All comments are moderated, and anything you add in a spirit of Christian love is welcomed.