Ever thought you knew something, and then had an experience that made you realize you understood the concept but hadn't made it a part of your life yet? That seems to happen to me a lot. (Didn't I write something like this before? It feels really familiar). Anyway, this whole concept of how prayer is supposed to work seems to keep forcing itself into my conscious mind. Since Greg Frizzel came to our church last February, my prayer life has been in a constant state of volatile change, frustration, and growth.
I have written and taught students that prayer is not about our wish-list, but about getting God's will done in our lives. I believe things like the elements listed in Greg Frizzel's book and am certain that worship, repentance, petition, intercession, and reflection are all vitally important. However, I've also found that, if we are not careful, even these principles can easily be reduced to nothing more than a perceived "magic formula" we think will please God enough to give us what we ask for. I am certainly "not there yet," but I think that there is still something more that I have ignored at times.
I am fond of saying that prayer is not about our wish-list, but could it be that we, thinking we have matured, have only traded our "selfish wish-list" for a more spiritual one? I've come to realize that the most important part of prayer is knowing God. Before we ever ask anything of Him, no matter how spiritual it may seem, what God wants is us. Sometimes I get stuck in a prayer rut and I feel like it's difficult and routine and has no effect. Part of this is my need to be more persistent and patient in prayer, but sometimes I feel disconnected from God because I have approached Him in checklist fashion, trying desperately to cover all the bases of worship, repentance, petition, and on and on and on. I guess it's kind of like Jesus at Lazarus' house. Martha was trying to cover all the bases, for a good, spiritual reason, while Mary was, for a moment, oblivious to every other good thing, focused only on the Master. Jesus' response was that she had chosen the perfect thing, and it would not be denied her.
But what if I spend all my time worshiping God and don't get to my request? I have a responsibility to pray for the things God has included in my life. What if I don't mention them all?
What if I don't? What kind of God do I serve? Is He going to penalize me because I spent so much time connecting with Him? Is He going to deny blessing in my life that He has planned out because I seek to know Him? Point is, God wants us first. He only requires that we loose ourselves to Him. Only when He has us can He bless what we do. Only when we are His does what we do really even matter. He wants us, not our checklist, regardless of how spiritual it may sound.
Like I said, I'm "not there yet." This blog has become a sounding board for some of my thoughts. Like someone else said, God has already spoken, the rest is commentary. I'm just adding to the conversation.
I have written and taught students that prayer is not about our wish-list, but about getting God's will done in our lives. I believe things like the elements listed in Greg Frizzel's book and am certain that worship, repentance, petition, intercession, and reflection are all vitally important. However, I've also found that, if we are not careful, even these principles can easily be reduced to nothing more than a perceived "magic formula" we think will please God enough to give us what we ask for. I am certainly "not there yet," but I think that there is still something more that I have ignored at times.
I am fond of saying that prayer is not about our wish-list, but could it be that we, thinking we have matured, have only traded our "selfish wish-list" for a more spiritual one? I've come to realize that the most important part of prayer is knowing God. Before we ever ask anything of Him, no matter how spiritual it may seem, what God wants is us. Sometimes I get stuck in a prayer rut and I feel like it's difficult and routine and has no effect. Part of this is my need to be more persistent and patient in prayer, but sometimes I feel disconnected from God because I have approached Him in checklist fashion, trying desperately to cover all the bases of worship, repentance, petition, and on and on and on. I guess it's kind of like Jesus at Lazarus' house. Martha was trying to cover all the bases, for a good, spiritual reason, while Mary was, for a moment, oblivious to every other good thing, focused only on the Master. Jesus' response was that she had chosen the perfect thing, and it would not be denied her.
But what if I spend all my time worshiping God and don't get to my request? I have a responsibility to pray for the things God has included in my life. What if I don't mention them all?
What if I don't? What kind of God do I serve? Is He going to penalize me because I spent so much time connecting with Him? Is He going to deny blessing in my life that He has planned out because I seek to know Him? Point is, God wants us first. He only requires that we loose ourselves to Him. Only when He has us can He bless what we do. Only when we are His does what we do really even matter. He wants us, not our checklist, regardless of how spiritual it may sound.
Like I said, I'm "not there yet." This blog has become a sounding board for some of my thoughts. Like someone else said, God has already spoken, the rest is commentary. I'm just adding to the conversation.
posted by Jonathan Branch at 3:43 PM
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