I've read a number of books on prayer. But some of those that most affected my life said little about the subject and a lot about the powerful love relationship the person had with God. In fact my own father had what I thought were some Kindergarten concepts on prayer. Some of his ideas were a bit strange, to be honest. He asked me to pray that God would resurrect my little brother. This is while we were standing in front of the casket, some 30 minutes before I was to do his funeral! And yet my father's friendship was so scary-good-real that as much as I fought I couldn't resist falling in love with Jesus. (He and my sweetheart were God's two biggest tools in touching my life with this incurable infection!)
Reading Philip Yancey's book on prayer this morning I was struck by the following thoughts (I also was deeply touched by Agrippa's comments on my earlier prayer blog).
Think about this: Isn't it a bit strange that God actually commands us to love Him with all our heart? Why would the God who knows everything and IS smarter than a 5th grader command us to love Him?
I think I know the answer
("Pick me, Pick me!"):The people He spoke these words to had been enslaved, beaten, and so abused that they didn't even think they could talk to a God who could part the water and make funny white stuff appear every morning on the ground ("tastes like chicken!"). This big powerful God made the whole mountain shake and Moses' face was as shiny as a Martian! No one in any world religion had ever heard of a God who wanted a friendship - Let's be in love with each other! Unless they were commanded to love God, the people were too afraid. This was a new point in the history of a society!
What does it mean for me? How can this relate to my praye
r life? I think I'm suppose to listen to my life: the passions, dreams and disappointments. I'm to check into all the boring parts of today, the difficult phone call, the stress of friends who don't have answers to really big questions. Then I'm to remember that God is actually inviting me to share every detail of that with Him. Not that I have to repeat it again in my mind and give it the tag line of "This is a prayer God."I sometimes don't share some of my stress with Laura because I'm too tired. I just don't want to! But when I do, I see how much she feels a part of me. She wants to be in every part of my life. My sweetheart is madly in love with me. I'm almost always glad I did share with her - I'm crazy in love with her too!
What if God wants us to pray because it's a great way to learn to fall more in love with Him? He's already nuts about us - He doesn't need persuasion. (He knows every thought, secret motive, all of me.) I'm the guy who can use "religious phrases" while not being that close to the one I really want to be friends with. Prayer is a "God gift" that opens me up to love more, care more. Praying can help me move beyond those "I'm fine" responses I too often give to that person checking groceries at QFC.
IF I prayed more I might learn to be more honest with myself (God already knows)!
2 comments:
Bruce, yet another exceptional blog! The love you feel for and the communication skills you have with your father, wife, family, friends, and God are admirable and inspiring. And yet I can't help but be envious of the sometimes irritable and often ignorant Israelites. I WANT a God who parts the waters, shakes mountains and leaves tasty food on my front lawn. Literally. He may seem fearsome and intimidating but at least I would feel that I was speaking with a "real" person, not an ethereal entity whose very existence is a constant test of faith. I realize that this is my problem, not God's. But that doesn't make it any less of a crushing disappointment and source of deep disallusionment.
I am ecstatic that prayer works so well for so many. Perhaps most in fact. This is one situation in which misery does NOT love company. But make no mistake, in misery I am. (Sorry, ended up going a little Yoda on you in that last sentence).
I have for years had my secret list of how much easier it would be to trust a God who does more fireworks (it didn't work that well with God's desert people). I've found the greatest fireworks in my life to be learning to hear God through the faces and lives of those around me. I hear God in comments on my blog (smile)- I really do. I will keep praying for you. C.S. Lewis woke up often an atheist and then allowed God to replant hope for that day!
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