Posted on 10/22/2008 9:23:49 AM PDT by CommonsensicalCat
Have you ever noticed that most people only turn to God during the direst moments in their life? Have you ever noticed how God seems to be especially attentive during those periods?
Trying times bring sincere prayers to God’s ears, but they also bring something else – submission. In a day and age where the adults have been brought up in school learning that science is the answer to all that ails man, it often takes a dilemma for which science has no answer to bring a true “God experience” into our lives.
You see God is the ultimate Father. We are his children. God wants to be our provider, but too often we think we can provide for ourselves. As a father nothing makes me happier than giving gifts to my children on Christmas. The look on their faces, the idea that I had a hand in making it a happy day for them, it is wonderful. But what if my children bought their own gifts? What if they thought they had no need for me? It would be a sad day indeed for dear old dad.
Too often as Christians we get caught up in what we can do for ourselves, or even what we can do ourselves for others. This is all well and good, but we forget that we have a Heavenly Father than can do anything. He has unlimited finances, unlimited authority, and unlimited power. When we leave Him out of our day to day life, it does not glorify him and it does not make him happy. Benjamin Franklin noticed this sentiment at the Constitutional Convention. He said, “And have we now forgotten that powerful friend (GOD)? Or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance.”
God wants us to rely on him. He wants us to ask for His help through prayer. He wants us to be the Children and let him be the Father. It is no wonder that Jesus rebuked his disciples when they tried to send the children away from him saying, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14) I don’t think Jesus was referring just to children here. He was speaking of those who will humble themselves before the Heavenly Father like children. A child is helpless compared to an adult and he looks to his Father/Mother for everything. So too should we look to God.
I am guilty of having prayed “God show me what I can do for you.” While this is a decent enough prayer, it confuses the roles. The prayer should be “God, use me for your glory.” My measly abilities pale in comparison to God’s mighty powers and he certainly doesn’t need me to do anything, but I sure wish he would use me so I can experience his majesty.
So how should we as Christians be praying? The answer is four-fold I believe. I believe we should first be submissive. We should be that child that is totally reliant on the Father for sustenance. Secondly, we should make sure that the prayer is God honoring rather than self honoring. Asking God for something that will honor him is acceptable, if the prayer is to honor us, it is not acceptable. Next we should make sure it has Biblical underpinnings. Make sure that what you are praying for is a need or burden that can be found in scripture. Everyone in the community not having cell phones is a far cry from everyone in the community not having food. Finally, we should be praying with faith that the prayer will be answered. Hebrews 11 tells us how important having faith is by constantly echoing “By Faith Moses….By Faith Abraham….By Faith….By Faith….By Faith.”
After we have submitted ourselves, asked a God honoring prayer that is Biblical in nature, and we have faith in the outcome – we wait and watch. Sometimes we may be given the answer and not even see it because we are not watching. Sometimes we give up too soon. God is never early, nor late, He is always right on time. The problem is that He knows when the time is right and we do not. The waiting and watching of our prayers is never-ending and this allows us to “pray without ceasing.”
If we pray this way and act more like children to God than adults thinking we have all the answers, I have great faith that God will work a miracle that will sweep across this nation like a brushfire. Join me in this. It will be a work in progress, but oh what a work it could be.
This is very timely. Last night I was thinking of the early Christians and how they must have viewed their political circumstances. They had no control over who was Emperor, nor what he did or how they paid the consequences. Jerusalem and its magnificent temple was destroyed before their eyes, the Jews dispersed, and they were hunted down for their faith. Many of them lost everything; yet they clung to their belief in Jesus and persevered as best they could, with hope for the next world. We may find ourselves in the same situation, but God is sovereign and loves us. Have faith! God is in control!
Only in dire circumstances, illness, major financial straits, relationship being broken, children out of control completely, loss of positions in employment, etc.... does a man realize his total lack of power to change his circumstances, health, situations.
The scripture John 15:5
5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing.”
“... apart from me ye can do nothing”
Think on these things.
Read the Bible ... God will meet you there.
To this end I labor, struggling with all His power which so mightily works within me. Col 1:29
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.