I have been thinking about prayer a lot lately. I've been thinking about it for many years really, but I've been able to recently put into thought what I've been feeling.
Prayer is a blessing, a command, an invitation, a burden, a joy, a never
ending process. We have the ability and privilege of speaking to the
God of all things. The person who spoke light into being has asked us
to meet with Him in prayer.
I know the one to whom we pray is mighty, is able, is listening. I know the one to whom we pray is loving, wants to give us good things, and waits for us to ask so that He may bless us. I also know the One to whom we pray is not in any way obligated to grant me my request.
We are to pray believing He will give us what we ask for when we ask in Jesus name. Is that why we say "In Jesus name amen" as if to say no punch backs? We are given acronyms of ACTS to adore, confess, thank, and supplication or ask. Is this the formula that God rewards? Do we adore him to butter Him up, confess so he hears us and listens, thank him as one final smooth over, and then drop the line we've been bursting to say since moment one? What games do we play and why?
Prayer is something that is alive, prayer is a conversation with my creator. Am I going to surprise Him? Am I going to find the perfect method or order to always receive my requests. I pray, I pray all the time, every day, with expectation. Those expectations are many times left unmet.
In the waiting, I have been told to take action, to modify the prayer for a simpler request, to believe it will happen because it is a desire He gave me.
I have a friend who is a fierce prayer warrior. Her faith that her prayers will be answered is an encouragement to me. When she says she will pray for me, I believe her. I not only believe her, I believe she will pray with a fervent, invested, hopeful prayer. She hopes with me. She empathizes with me in prayer. She has shed tears for me, with me, showing me, it matters to her personally. This is all a gift. When the request is yet unmet, what does that mean?
It means He understands. It means, he's given me people to walk with me, to watch and pray. It means He catches the tears because every one is precious. It means obedience is often the blessing. It means, He is still good, and that the withholding of what I want is the most loving thing He can do at the moment. It means the confusing part of living out this faith is to be expected.
Pray on, believing He is good and His glory will be made known throughout the nations and in your own life. He sees you.
Stacy Rapp © 2018
1 comment:
Obedience ITSELF IS often the blessing. Obedience when are hearts are right with the only one that matters. Now that's when crazy stuff happens. Obedience = Blessing. This is a true statement.
Oh, when my heart does the talking.
Brief, to the point. Watch out. Hang onto your hat, honey. Here comes that blessing. Dont be confused by the shape color or especially how it feels as to what you" expected". HE, the Giver of blessings knows he may have changed what you prayed into what HAS to happen for every step after, to work into the blessing you asked for.
He, Christ is the only one we have to give into. Let Jesus, work you.
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