I have really been wrestling with prayer lately and exactly how and why we are supposed to pray. I mean, why do we pray and ask for our will when it's His will that will be done? Kind of like my kids can ask me all they want to have brownies for breakfast, they can cry and beg and plead and no way is it ever going to happen.
I've come to realize that my prayers to God have turned into a drive-through window where I place my order with him. Please do this, please do that, help me, give me etc. I think I've been missing the "with thanksgiving" and "humble" parts.
There are so many things that I am praying for right now - for my will to be done in certain situations. It's easy to change my prayers for others - ok God your will be done FOR THEM, but do my stuff my way please.
What happened to ask and you shall receive and all that good stuff? ----
This post has been stuck in "draft" mode for awhile too because I've just been kind of stuck in this area. K posted something on her blog that points out that this may not necessarily mean everything my flesh wants - it the desires of a clean, pure heart that desires God's will. Hmmm
I had a group of friends in college that we all went to church and hung out together all the time. We would all pile in the car after church discussing where we should eat for lunch. We would decide we wanted Black Eyed Pea. Well, the driver would just drive right past and when we complained, would just say "I have a better plan" and proceed to go wherever he wanted! It was so irritating!! Just today, I remembered that and it made me think of God. I can tell Him all I want that I want to eat Black Eyed Pea, but He is driving and He may have a better plan. To be honest, in the end, we always were fed, had a good time and no one was permanently damaged from not getting to pick the lunch place and there were times when we actually went to the place we wanted to go. God is the same way - He has a plan and a will that is perfect even when we may not see it the same way. What does that have to do with prayer? Well, I've realized that praying isn't like giving my wish list to God or placing my order (He knows all of it anyway), but also praying for the ability to accept His will in any situation and for peace and understanding. I don't think He minds us asking for help. There are many times that I can look back on, especially in the last 14 months and see that even though my prayers weren't specifically answered, He did have a better plan and I am so glad that He's in the driver's seat.
3 comments:
I have really struggled with this ever since Ada died. After all, I prayed for her while I was pregnant and that she would be born healthy. Why didn't God prevent her death? What's the point in praying anyway? I know all the church answers like that prayer is really for ME - like what you said too - and I do agree with that, but...I just lack the motivation now. These are the kinds of things I don't like to admit to anyone. :(
I love this post - I think that is what prayer is all about - the ability to accept God's plan and find peace with it is what we should ultimately strive for. The "asking" part is may be what helps make us feel better and get through. Sometimes we don't see his plan until long after he has already written it in stone! Marissa
Please don't forget, Prayer is also for praising God, for thanking Him for all He does, for all we have, to ask for guidence so that we may live a better life, Wisdom so that we can make good choices for our lives and for our family but I think most importantly, prayer is for us to ask for His Mercy on our immortal soul, for forgiveness every day for we are weak and our strength only comes from God. This may sound harsh but please realize I don't mean it to be because believe me, I'm in a place right now where I am begging for MY will to be done!!! But I say these next things in love...because when Paul was afflicted and in pain and constantly asking God to heal him, God's final response was this; 2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said unto me, "My grace is sufficent for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." I know this is only part of the verse but if you shorten it even more to "My grace is sufficent for thee" and really stop to think about it...It is a very profound statement! We can ask for THINGS, not just material things but healing, security, financial stability, the life of a loved one, but in the end, the most important thing is that God has bestowed His Grace upon our souls and saved us from eternal hell fire. If you have been given God's Grace and Mercy, and your soul has been Forgiven...then our afflictions dim in comparsion. Do we hurt? yes! Are we sometimes sick and dying? Yes! Are we stressed, lost, financially broken, bad marriage, etc,,,YES!!! But if you have Grace and Forgiveness, then you have the one thing that really counts,,,that you will join Him at His side to sing His praises with all those you love who have gone before for all ETERNITY...not just for the small space of time we spend here on earth. The material things of this earth will fade away, they are temporary! Ask and you shall receive you say,,,and where when are these things given? Maybe its what we are asking for...Ask for Forgiveness and God's Mercy and Grace everyday with a humble heart and it shall be given to you. There are none of us who don't wish Tyler had lived so that WE...those of us here on earth, could love him and gain joy from his existence. But at least Tylers place in Heaven is assured!!! I realize that doesn't erase the pain for right now and you ask why you couldn't have both! But who is to say that if Tyler had lived that he would have accepted Jesus and been saved? This you have to worry about with Ranger, Danner and Gunner! Will you see them in Heaven with you? Will you be able to give them the foundation that when they are older, hopefully they will not stray from it and turn to God for His Forgiveness of their souls? It's only their choice to make, we can't make it for them but with Tyler!!! His place in Heaven is assured!!!! He is waiting with Love and patience. So when you pray,,,pray for wisdon and guideance to teach your children about God so that they can learn to love and trust in Him and pray for Grace, Mercy and His Forgiveness! for without it, all the other things we ask for doesn't really matter.
(Read James 4:6, Ephesians 2:8, Matthew ch19)
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