Prayer has been on my mind a lot lately. I'm not entirely sure where I'm headed with this, but I've had lots to think about.
I'm on a prayer chain at my old church. I get lots of prayer request by friends and coworkers. I see them on Facebook all the time. We've prayed for our ill friends, family and friends of those who have died, blessings for new additions to families, for soldiers serving around the world. I've asked for prayers as well.
But it has caused me to think about some things. I have no problem praying. It doesn't matter if I know the person. But I started thinking about WHY we pray.
On the one hand, we're taught in church that God has a big Master Plan for every person on Earth. He and only He knows how many days we will all spend in this life. We also are taught the God doesn't make mistakes.
So what are really praying for? What is the purpose? For God to change his mind? We aren't praying for him to make a correction.
One of the hardest lessons I've ever had to learn dealt with prayer. I was in a Bible study and the leader told us that God answers our prayers 100% of the time.
100%
I had a real problem with this at the time. I'd been praying very hard about something and I couldn't see anything happening that I'd been asking for. If anything, the situation was worsening.
The leader of the group told us that God answers every prayer because he has three answers - yes, no, and not right now.
It was tough to accept that God was actually telling me no, not just ignoring me. I think at first I wanted to just believe I wasn't being heard because to accept that I was being denied something I really wanted was almost unacceptable.
But that is what any good parent does, isn't it? Our parents know that touching a hot stove is painful and tells us no if we try to touch it. A good parent keeps us from harming ourselves - both physically and emotionally. Our parents protect us, often from ourselves.
The hard part is the understanding. When you're going through something and you're all caught up in the middle of it, it is very difficult to step back and see the bigger picture. To see why we're being told no, or not right now.
It's never easy to understand why a child gets sick with cancer, or a young person dies in car accident, or why bad things happen to good people.
So, I come back to my original question. Why do we pray? I think we pray for understanding. We pray for comfort. We pray for acceptance of the situation. Because I'm pretty sure we're not going to change the Master Plan - although I'm a firm believer of "it never hurts to ask".
I mean what's the worst thing that can happen - we get told no?
Now see, that was great! I have had many of the same questions about prayer. Mostly I couldn't understand why we needed prayer chains. Like was one prayer not enough? Did God think...oh, there's so many of them, I'll change my mind.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea, but someone told me this and I liked it...they said that we share prayer requests so that others can be in on what God is doing or going to do in our lives. I can get that. Certainly you feel a bond with those you prayer for and with...and when those prayers are answered (either yes or no) the same community can weep or rejoice with you.
I guess.
Good random thoughts Dee! Keep 'em coming!
From my aunt:
ReplyDeleteAnd he also wants to commune with us. Looking at the model prayer in Matthew 6 gives us the framework. No only are we to petition, but to praise. I was just reading in Isaish 38 or 39 this morning and the prophet Isaiah told Hezekiah that he was going to die (that his sickness was unto death). He did want to die, so wept and prayed to God and God gave his 15 more years and he made some very dumb decisions. Like gave all the king's information to the enemy and it cost him. Sound familiar? I love that you think deeply. "Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done."
Yes, these thoughts and questions went through my mind several years ago. I found a book called "Prayer and the Sovereignty of God" helpful. I too think prayer is mostly (if not all) for us now......our benefit, our relationship.......it almost always changes my focus and mindset. Thanks for sharing!
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