What do you expect when you pray? What does prayer really do? Sometimes I pray and hope that God will give me something or make something happen in my life, but when it doesn't pan out, I am somewhat disappointed. Sometimes, though, it's not really such a surprise when nothing seems to happen. When Trish and I were struggling with our daughter Morgan's brain cancer, we prayed like crazy that God would take that cancer out of her so she could live a full, long life. Morgan died of brain cancer. I remember thinking, "why do we even bother praying?!" We thought that, surely God would want us to ask for something so noble as getting rid of cancer, and therefore grant our request. How could God not care enough and just ignore our prayers of healing for our daughter?!
This is what I've been learning about prayer. When I pray, it doesn't automatically give me whatever I want. In fact, it almost NEVER gets me what I am asking for. Having a prayer life has changed ME, not so much my circumstances. Praying puts me in my proper posture of humility and reminds me of my need for God. It forms me into the person God wants me to be, not by God giving me whatever I ask for, but by shaping my scope; how I see myself, God and the world in which I live, which is filled to the brim with hurt, loss and cancer. In prayer, I acknowledge the greatness of God and the smallness of me. If we pray properly, ie: for our enemies, for the sick, for the poor, for the changing of lives; it will change the way we see and treat others. It will empower us to "be the change we want" in the world. It will make us less self-ish, less greedy and less covetous of others. Prayer reorients our lives through the renewing of our minds and the softening of our hearts.
Andy
Prayer is always for our benefit, not because God needs it. After all, He does know our thoughts. (even before we think them!) I have experience firsthand, too, the transforming work of prayer in my life ~ the way it affects relationships and the way it affects my perception of my circumstances. It's been beautiful to realize my prayers in many situations have gone from: "God, I need this/really want that," to: "God, it feels like this and I need your help. Soften my heart to receive your Word, to be a blessing to others, and to seek to glorify you no matter the outcome."
ReplyDeleteI am learning so much about prayer from a variety of people. I'm learning that when I say "I'll pray for you", I must follow through on it. The experience of praying for someone else, for their circumstances, has opened my mind and my heart in ways that I didn't anticipate. It is an amazing journey that I'm on.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experiences. Those are great words of wisdom. Can you imagine the impact if we prayed personally for our "enemies"? They may not be transformed by it the way we think they ought to be, but one things is sure...WE would be transformed in how we learn to define "enemies" differently. Perhaps we would even see them as our brother or sister. I think that is what Jesus wants from his followers. To be transformed by prayer, not to tranform everyone else so they think like we do or act like we think they should.
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