I have been spending a lot more time in prayer and Bible study since our pastor's challenge, but I have to admit, it has not been easy. As I have been praying, I have been overwhelmed with questions about how/why prayer works. I understand that God wants us to communicate with him. How else can a relationship grow? I also understand that God is great enough and powerful enough to meet all of our needs and heal our infirmities, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. And I understand that God has a plan for each of us, and that if we follow it, we will surely be blessed. I ask often for understanding and guidance, that I will be able to discern the plans that He has for me. But I really struggle when it comes for asking him for specific things, such as healing someone's illness, as I know that God is really the only one that knows what the outcome will and should be. I wondered, "Does it really make any difference if I pray for someone? What if God has a plan for that person, and I am asking for something that is not his will? What if what I am asking for is already his will, and he is already doing it?" I guess this is my own feelings of inadequacy showing through, as I feel unworthy to ask him to do something that only he can do anyway.
In any case, I was praying specifically about this on Tuesday. I asked God to help me understand more about prayer, as I obviously don't fully grasp what it is all about. That's when I met Connie.
I had been praying for her for months. She had been in a serious accident several months ago and needed healing. When I met her, for the first time, I could see for myself that she was strong and vibrant and had been blessed by God. She had an exuberance about her and was quick to tell me what a miracle had been performed in her life. God had healed her in a way that only He could. She was emphatic that it was only through the prayers of others that she was well. I was so inspired, not only in her healing, but in God's response to my own prayer.
I still don't understand how it makes a difference for one person to pray for another, or why God listens to any of us in the first place, but I am more sure than ever that it is a vital part of our relationship with him and with each other. I may never find out all the "how's and why's," but I will continue to make prayer an important part of my spiritual life, knowing one day, He will show me the answers to all of my questions.
3 comments:
I know the feeling... it is especially hard for an introvert, like me to maintain a "one-way conversation" with someone I don't see... only feel.
I've wondered, "God knows everything there is to know. More about me than I do, so who am I to tell Him what I want or need?"
But from a long experience with and without Him in my life, I've given up trying to out-guess God about what He should do for me. It is far more important for me to consider what I can do for Him in exchange for each day He has let me live to learn more about Him and His ways.
Even what has seemed like curses at the time they were experienced, were blessings in disguise. They were permitted or directed at me to shape my character and fashion my life to be a good fit into the body of Christ. When I find myself not fitting in well, I can expect some more "shaping" to take place in the near future.
In short, by praying that His will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we place ourselves on the "chopping block of life," volunteering to be shaped by into someone useful to Him.
What is so amazing to me is that while we are being shaped, we are also a tool in the hand of God for shaping someone else! H'm-m-m-m-m
Sometimes I feel more like a broken tool than a work of God.
Prayer helps us connect with God, yes. While we pray for someone else we get "out of ourselves", away from our selfish nature and into the loving sphere where God is. I've noticed that when I pray aloud, my thoughts become clearer, more defined. Kind of like writing a list for goals or shopping. It helps your mind stay focused. And when I stay focused, God has a better chance of making his ways apparent to me; I am able to listen to HIM better. Our minds race trying to find answers, but most of the time when we calmly come to HIM, HE will point out answers or set us up to recognize when an answer is given. Prayer also helps us recoginze what really matters in life. Yes, HE wants to hear even the smallest concerns so that when we address them we know that HE's actually been told and hopefully the concern is rested in HIS care. Remember that words carry their own power, positive or negative and by verbalizing your prayer you are sending out a force to be reconciled by HIM--HE will show you the answer when you are ready to hear/see it.
I struggle many time with the same issue. However I know without prayer things don't seem to work out as well as when we pray for others. Example: We have a guy in our SAFE program who was suppose to be dead a year ago. Now he is witnessing to others daily. I know a guy who had throat cancer with a poor prognoses and is now in remition 1 year. I am seeing prayers answered every day. If there is one thing I have learned it is this.... Don't mess with what works.
Jul
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