Good morning everyone.
I have spent a lot of time recently going through lots of my paper work and files, seeing what I could get rid of. I found myself surprised by some of the things I have written. Together, along with other things it was a bit like getting to know myself.
One of the topics I had written about was prayer, which got me thinking what is prayer? The hymn writer wrote, 'Prayer is the souls sincere desire uttered or unexpressed'.
So, what is prayer.
To me prayer should be a running dialogue in that wherever we are and whatever we are doing we are in touch with our friend Jesus, not even having to speak, just being, keeping company with God. To me this seems to be prayer- but, prayer isn't easy, it seems to be a conversation where we are doing all the talking, and we want to hear the other voice sharing.
So, why do we pray? What is the purpose of prayer?
Most of us need to desire something before we wholeheartedly seek after it. Until we realise how much God loves us and cares about the details of our lives, we probably won't have the desire to pray to him. Until we sincerely believe that God has completely forgiven us, we will be ashamed to face him. When King David came face to face with his own sinfulness, he was able to sing this. "We will fulfil our vows to you, for you answer our prayers. Though our hearts are filled with sins, you forgive them all.
When we pray for people we are encouraged to then go out and do something to help them. So from this perspective, prayer is a self help exercise. But is this getting to know God? How do we get to know God as we pray! Well, I guess we are aware that He already knows and cares about the things we care about, but wants us to share them with Him, as we would a friend, a friend who we can count on, who can handle it when we share our deepest feelings, even the ones of hurt and betrayal. Someone with whom we can share our deepest, innermost self. With this friend we feel safe. The writer of the hymn, "What a friend we have in Jesus,"understood. Just think of those words. Whether we like it or not CS Lewis wrote, ' We are completely known to God,' every tiniest detail. We can choose to unveil ourselves to God, inviting Him into our lives and ourselves into God's, so to speak. Then an extraordinary friendship starts up. This makes me think, would I trust any of my deepest friends with my innermost thoughts, fears and secrets, or would I be too afraid of being judged, not accepted, not good enough. With our best friend Jesus we can bring it all into our relationship.
So continuing, why do we pray. It made me think one of the characteristics of love is the desire for communication between the lover and the one who is loved. Communication is the giving and receiving of information, the act of making known and being known, the transmission of meaning. The roots of the word communication go back to the Latin word, meaning to have or make common to both. The English word communication comes from the same root word. So praying is our root communication with God, a two way conversation, listening and speaking. I guess a question is how much do we speak, and how much do we actually listen and hear? We may not understand a lot about prayer, but one thing we know is it seems to come out of trouble and difficulty. Psalm 142 says "I cry out to the Lord, I plead for the Lord's mercy. I pour out my complaints before Him and tell Him all my troubles. For I am overwhelmed, and you alone known the way I should turn. Wherever I go my enemies live to set traps for me. I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought", and so it goes on with David saying, "You are my refuge. You are all I really want in life." When we are in desperate need, we quite naturally open our mouths to pray. Why? Because we are not in a position to help ourselves. We find ourselves frightened, maybe pushed out of our limits, pulled from our comfort zones. When we feel our wellbeing is challenged or endangered, we cry," Help Lord! "
Most of us need to desire something before we wholeheartedly seek after it. Until we realise how much God loves us and cares about the details of our lives, we probably won't have the desire to pray to Him. Until we sincerely believe that He has completely forgiven us we will be ashamed to face Him. When King David came face to face with his own sinfulness, he was able to sing, "We will fulfil our vows to you, for you answer our prayer. Though our hearts are filled with sins, you forgive them all."
So, does God really answer prayer? When God just doesn't seem to answer, or seems to take forever? I don't pretend to understand.
In 1981, having been amazingly healed from two lots of major surgery, I was rushed In to hospital with an obstruction of the small bowel, release of internal strangulation and division of adhesions. At the same time, the mother of one of my youth group went in for some minor surgery. After a month in hospital I came home, no colostomy, fine. The Mum came home with bowel cancer and a colostomy, terminal. I didn't understand, people prayed for both of us. I felt guilty for being healed. In 2010 I was rushed to hospital with a subachroidhaem phage. They didn't expect me to come out alive. After only two weeks I did, no problems, no life changing effects. Staff and consultant amazed. I asked, ' why me?' In both cases many people prayed consistently. Jeremiah 29 v 12-13 says, " In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me."
Deuteronomy 4- 29 says, "....search again for The Lord your God. And if you search for Him with all your heart and soul, you will find Him." James 5 13-18 talks about the power of prayer. I believe God always answers prayer, but in His time and His way. I've seen that happen as I am sure you have. We simply have to keep company with God,
The world needs to see a demonstration of the Power of God, which only comes through our prayer life. That's a challenge for me, what about you?
Let's pray. Heavenly Father, how we need you, we are nothing without you, ships without a rudder. Lord, teach us to pray, enable us to search diligently for you. Fill our hearts with the desire to really know you, to be lost without you. O how we need to be lost in you. Lord we want to seek you wholeheartedly, but somehow we often get side tracked. Thank you that you forgive us this and that you draw us back into you.
Heavenly Father, help us to sing these words:-
I want to walk with Jesus Christ all the days I live of this life on earth, to give to Him complete control of body and of soul.
I want to learn to speak to Him, to pray to Him, confess my sin, to open my life and let Him in, for joy will then be mine.
I want to learn to speak of Him, my life must show that He lives In me; my deeds, my thoughts, my words must speak all of His love for me.
I want to learn to read His word, for this is how I know the way to live my life as pleases Him, in holiness and joy.
O Holy Spirit of The Lord, enter now into this heart of mine, take full control of my selfish will, and make me wholly thine. Amen
Thank you Lord for being present even when I fail to notice you.
Now may the peace of God make you Holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God who calls you, is faithful, He will do it.
May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you. Amen.
God Bless You. Irene