Did I mention yesterday that I can be a spiritual amnesiac? Well, it's true. And I'm guessing I'm not the only one with a mighty short retention span. Anybody?
Today, I'm thinking about prayer. Prayer is surely the believer's greatest weapon in the fight for joy, peace, hope, and power in the midst of the battle. Not to mention our most potent weapon in the fight to kill the sin in our lives.
Little prayer, little power. Little prayer, little peace. Little prayer, little holiness.
Ah, but where there's much prayer, big prayer? Resurrection power, supernatural peace, beautiful Christ-like holiness.
But here's what happens with yours truly, the prayer-amnesiac. I pray, sort of half-believing, half-hoping...but then immediately falling into "the pit of despond" when things don't work out the way I wanted/prayed/hoped they would.
Please note the use of the pronoun "I." Because there's the root of my problem.
It's all about my plan, my dream, my prayer. When it's all about me and my ideas and my schemes, then when yours truly's seemingly brilliant prayer/plan/dream doesn't work out just the way I hoped, then discouragement and disbelief set in.
And you know what? At the base of it all, I believe, is a failure to trust that God truly is perfect in His love for us.
We go into the mental gymnastics of telling ourselves, "Well, if God really loved my child, He wouldn't have let______happen." Or "If God really loved us, He would have healed_____." Or "If God really is so loving, He would answer my prayer for________and thus vastly improve the quality of my life."
But we forget the cross.
We forget His grace.
We forget His extravagant goodness to us.
We forget the innumerable times He has met our desperate need.
We forget the countless ways He has blessed us.
We forget that He always, always, always answers prayer...but that sometimes "No" or "Not yet" is an answer.
And we forget not only His love but the extent of His love. We forget that God demonstrated an extraordinary, infinite, unfathomable love for us by allowing His only Son to die that we might live. And that Christ died even though we are--more often than not--disbelieving, doubting, disobedient, and ungrateful prodigals.
Oh forgive us, Abba. Forgive me.
Thank You for reminding me that "No prayer is lost. There is no such thing as prayer unanswered or unnoticed by God, and some things that we count refusals or denials are simply delays." (Horatius Bonar)
I think, for example, of Joseph. Remember Joseph in the book of Genesis? Sold into slavery, imprisoned, mistreated, seemingly forgotten by man and God for seventeen long years.
What prayer request have you been praying about for seventeen years? Are you tempted to give up after a year...or two...or ten? Not Joseph.
At the end of all that waiting and suffering and struggling, Joseph confidently proclaimed to his brothers, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." (Gen.50:20) In other words--it wasn't you boys who did this. It was God all along--and He allowed it out of His infinite love and perfect wisdom so that His chosen people could be saved.
That's tenacious, trusting-in-God's-goodness-and-love faith that says, "I'm willing to pray and wait. Pray and trust. Pray and believe that God's plan and timing are always ultimately best...even when it's painful."
That's powerful prayer that says, "Here's my prayer, and I know, know, know You have the power to do it, Lord...but I will wait on You. I will trust in Your wisdom. I will rest in Your love. And I will believe that whatever, whenever, however this all turns out, You are sovereign and Your way is perfect."
Robert Murray McCheyne said that "There never was, and never will be a believing prayer unanswered." Meaning: God always answers--whether it's "Yes," "Not yet," or "No." Because our God of infinite love, absolute power, and perfect righteousness never misses a beat, never makes a mistake, and never, ever, ever fails to fulfill every one of His promises.
And here's the thing: when we're armed with that knowledge, we can, indeed, "Rejoice always [even in His 'No's'], pray without ceasing [no matter how long], give thanks in all circumstances." [in every, every, every circumstance--good, bad, or indifferent] (I Thess.5:16)
So today, let's pray. Pray big. Pray boldly. But pray fully entrusting it all to our all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful Heavenly Father. Trusting Hs plan. His timing. His answer.
'Cause He's our Abba, our Daddy. And He's got it. No matter what, when, or how.
To God be the glory.
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