Prayer

I don't normally like email forwards, but I think this one has some interesting things to say about prayer. Here it is minus the rubbish that seems to be essential for forwards ('If you love God...' guess what you have to do!)


God Said "No"

I asked God to take away my habit. God said, No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. God said, No. His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.
I asked God to grant me patience. God said, No. Patience is a by-product of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is learned.
I asked God to give me happiness. God said, No. I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.
I asked God to spare me pain. God said, No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.
I asked God to make my spirit grow. God said, No. You must grow on your own! But I will prune you to make you fruitful.
I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life. God said, No. I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.
I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me. God said... Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.


Sometimes I get frustrated at people praying and asking for prayer for all these tiny little things to do with life. I wonder if it's often a means to give credence to our worry about stuff... but we all know Jesus told us not to worry. Or maybe it's just a way to share trials with others... but why hide behind the facade of prayer? Maybe I'm being super cynical and it's just that by praying about everything people feel closer to God. Maybe it's a way of laying our burdens down, whether we achieve that by sharing with God or others.

I don't know.

For a while I've been kind of caught up in this mindset - I don't want to pray about much because I don't see the point in going through life in minute detail. I don't understand how that glorifies God and I'm not sure if it deepens my relationship with him. I'm not convinced it doesn't turn me into a supermarket Christian, going to God with my list of things to grant, rather than seeing the big picture and being challenged to make something good from what I have and just praising Him instead. So for a while I've resorted to praying how Jesus told us to or using it as a guide, if anything at all:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.

To quote a blogging dude, 'I wouldn't get too hung up on trying to decide on the specific place God wants you to be. I think it is more to do with being the person he wants you to be wherever YOU choose to be.' I think the same probably applies to all of life - it's not about praying for all the little things, it's about praying that we will be able to deal with all the little things in the right way. Ben reminded me last night that we were commanded to love God and love others, and often if we do that, everything else falls into place.