Other People's Prayers

 

(picture from newlifeprismo .com)

Some of us explain everything in detail to God about a situation, as if we're explaining everything FOR God. This reminds me of a method of writing a report that needed to be a certain number of pages long, where we might include abstract points just to take up space on the pages.

Some of us are a bit flowery with our prayers, as if the beautiful, flowing words of our prayer will impact their power. 

Some of us insert a phrase or title for God multiple times in each breath of a prayer. 

Some of us equate the length of our prayer to how well it will be received, trying to impress God with the effort we've put into it. 

Some of us interrupt ourselves while we pray, perhaps to talk to someone else in the room or to mentally make note about things we need to do later in the day or week...

Some of us are pithy or pray bullet points, giving just the facts to God, as we see them. 

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Some of us pause often, perhaps listening for what God is saying in response, or maybe we've lost our own thought. 

Some of us cry while we pray, maybe we feel our prayers are more earnest when accompanied with tears, perhaps because what we're praying about truly moves our heart and we expect that it will move God's heart, as well.

Sometimes our prayers may come out sounding vain and repetitive. Only we know if they're coming from the heart or are merely a grouping of words we've memorized. 

Sometimes our prayers sound desperate - sometimes we ARE desperate. 

Sometimes we can't find the words to pray. 

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Some of our prayers may sound trite and unimportant to anyone but us.

Some of us may even think our prayers are unimportant to God, Himself. 

Some of us may feel unworthy to pray, bringing our prayers and needs before the perfect God of all. 

Some of us pray very loud, perhaps thinking the louder our voice, the better God will hear us. 

Some of us refuse to pray out loud or in front of others. 

Some of us fall asleep while praying. 

Some of us repeat ourselves when we pray, perhaps we've forgotten we just mentioned it to God or we're making sure He takes special note of this particular request. And then, we repeat it again. And again. 

Some of us kneel when we pray. 

Some of us stand or walk around or sit or lie down when we pray. 

Some of us write out our prayers.

Some of us close our eyes when we pray, some of us keep them wide open. 

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Some of us are embarrassed to pray. 

Some of us are very proud to pray. 

Some of us pray bossy prayers. 

Some of us pray as if we have no clue what to say. 

Some of us pray as a tradition or habit (over our meals, for example) without giving thought to what we've prayed.

Some of us pray spontaneously. 

Some of us fold our hands when we pray. 

Some lift our hands toward heaven. 

Some of us pray, not believing God hears us. 

Some of us ask God for things like we're reading off a Christmas wish list. 

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Some of us judge the way others pray. 

 

Some of us pray..... 

 

Other people's prayers are theirs to pray. 

Our prayers are ours to give up to God. 

God desires our company, our attention, our time and our love. He'll direct our prayers if we'll allow Him into our prayer time. He wants to hear our hearts, yielded to Him. Honestly, humbly and boldly. 

We're not being graded on the quality or style of our prayers. We're making way for and creating a time of communion with God; unity between Creator and creation. We're surrendering our heart.

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 "Pray without ceasing."

1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV

 

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Philippians 4:6 NIV

 

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

Matthew 21:22 KJV

 

"For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith."

Mark 11:23 KJV

 

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession."

James 1:2-18 NLT

 

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The Scary Prayer

 

(from nationaltoday .com)

I remember, back in the early 80s, first reading in the gospels where Jesus's disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. 

 

I recall the feeling of satisfaction that came over me, thinking there could be no better way to pray than by following His example. 

It was as if a smile took up not only my face, but my whole body. 

 

Then I read the familiar words to the prayer I learned very early on in my childhood, "Our Father Who art in heaven...." (Luke 11:1-4)

 

It's a feel-good prayer. 

It's a traditional prayer. 

It's a comforting prayer, bringing back memories of early childhood before the world ever felt dark. 

As a family, we'd kneel together on the living room floor and pray before bedtime. 

 

Now, as an adult, reading the words for myself in the Bible for the first time, seeing where they came from and discovering that Jesus Himself taught us this prayer, it warmed my heart. 

 

Sometimes when I read, I smooth the paper where the words are written, following my finger as I read... "hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

 

What joy to think of God's will being carried out here on earth just as it is in heaven!

(from nationaltoday .com)

 "Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us...."

 

Wait. What? Back that up a bit. "…forgive us our trespasses AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US..."?????

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 Wait. I've been praying this prayer since I could put a sentence together. I've been asking for God's forgiveness - according to how I've forgiven those who have wronged ME?

 

But sometimes I'm not that quick to forgive!

 

Sometimes I don't think a person deserves to be forgiven!

 

The thought may have even crossed my mind, "I hope they burn in hell for what they did..."

 

That's not how I want God to forgive ME!

 

I don't know what you call them, but that's what I'd call an "aha! moment”. 

 

As tears rolled down my face, I prayed The Lord's Prayer that day for the first time, understanding exactly what I was saying - and truly meaning each word I prayed.

 

Sigh. What a relief. 

 

THAT was a scary prayer. 

 

I survived it.

 

Now - every time I pray it, I mean it. 

(from practicalrecovery .com)

 "…and lead is not into temptation but deliver us from evil."

 

That day I was delivered from evil on a whole new level. 

 

"Amen."

 

Your turn. Can you pray this whole prayer from the heart? Will you let it set you free?

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How Did He Teach Us to Pray?

 While walking and praying on one of my favorite trails, I saw revelation in the Lord’s Prayer.

Our Father. My intention was to pray over one specific friend this morning, as I began my prayer, I joined myself to my sister and prayed, “Our Father….” We share this heavenly Father; she is my sister, whom I love dearly.

Our Father in Heaven. Heaven has reached into our hearts. The very kingdom of God is within us, growing and reaching into the lives of those we love.  As we allow God’s love to grow in us, we expand the kingdom of Heaven here on Earth.

Our Father in Heaven, holy is Your Name! Time for the hosannas and the hallelujahs as rejoicing breaks through my prayer time. How can one commune with our Father, even in times of despair or great sorrow, without allowing His joy to permeate our prayers, without reverencing all that is holy?

Thy kingdom come. By joining myself to God I allow His kingdom to come and reign in my life. I exalt Him as King of kings and Lord of lords; I submit to Him as God of my life, as God of all life. His kingdom is the only kingdom I want to explore. There are principalities and dominions I don’t understand that have hold in the lives of many around us, but, I choose to live in Christ and allow Christ to reign in me. Every facet of my life somehow revolves around expanding God’s kingdom reign in the world around me. Is He God of all? Absolutely! Has He given dominion of the world to man? Yes. Every unholy choice we make leads us further from the next line…

Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. I won’t claim to know God’s will in everything. It’s His will that we commune with Him, it’s His will that we know His Word, His Son, Jesus. It’s His will that we love, always. But, whether or not He wants me to take a specific job or to redecorate my kitchen, well…..sometimes He lets us in on which way to go, other times, I think He’s willing to bless what we choose. He always guides and directs us, but, He’s given us tremendous freedom as well.

Can you imagine His perfect will, as it is in Heaven, surrounding us here on Earth? According to the Bible, I don’t think that will happen until a new heaven and a new earth are ushered in….but, can you just imagine it? Yes, we pray come quickly Lord Jesus, and we agree in prayer, Let Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven. I want God’s perfect will accomplished in my life, and in the lives of those I love. And yes, in the lives of everyone on the planet.

How pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)

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Give us this day our daily bread. We generally consider our daily bread to be our meal. Jesus Himself said that His meat was to do the will of the Father. So, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that our daily bread isn’t just our physical meals, it includes all the sustenance we need from day to day. It includes our food, but so much more! 

What else do we need to thrive? Not just to exist from day to day, but to really thrive! Our greatest need is something many of us push away, as if we don’t deserve it, as if it’s a special treat reserved for the truly worthy. Our greatest need is love; God’s love!

We all need to feel loved. It’s not just a want, it’s a God-given need. We’re not asking for something God can’t provide. He created us with a built-in need for His love, and for the love of our fellow man – and perhaps that of a spouse.

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God freely gives us His love – and more; everything we need is within our grasp.

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Many years ago, I read a column (as they were called before the word blog became popular) which told the story of a mother listening as her child prayed at bedtime. Reciting the Lord’s Prayer, he said, in part, “forgive us our trash passing, as we forgive those who pass trash against us…” That’s the way I hear it in my head now. Cute? Yes, adorable. But, just as true.

I think perhaps, this might be the scariest prayer to pray. Forgive us as we forgive others?

But – what if we’re not so forgiving of others?

Ouch!

Mark 11:25 says, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (NIV)

Matthew 6:14-15 says, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (NIV)

Yeah, to me, that’s some pretty heavy stuff. “But, God…..” we whine.

There’s the story of the man who was forgiven much then turned around and demanded that another who owed him a pittance pay up immediately or he’d have him thrown into debtor’s jail. In Matthew 18:21-35 Peter asks Jesus how many times we’re to forgive those who wrong us. Jesus explains the parable of the unmerciful servant. Because forgiveness is so important within the kingdom of God (which reigns in our hearts), I’ll include the story here.

“Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt.

Personal note here, that was a forgiving king! He didn’t just agree to be patient until the servant could pay him, he forgave the debt altogether. I wonder how the servant came to owe the king so much, or how he ever thought he could pay it. But, the king shows mercy, so it’s kind of irrelevant. But, the parable goes on….

“But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion o your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due him.

“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” (NKJV)

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Yowza! It doesn’t sound like Jesus is making light of the powerful act of forgiveness, does it? I’ll just leave that there for us to chew on.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. None of us wants to endure trials, as they tend to stretch us. But evil? No, none of us ever want to experience evil, personally. Most of us are grieved to hear of others enduring evil. Although, plenty of us seem to enjoy watching it on television or at the movie theaters.

Deliver us from evil – when we ask God to lead us in His ways, to turn us from the path of evil, we’re asking Him to direct our footsteps. We’re giving up the right to choose to walk down a road that’s filled with consequences, some we know of, some of which hide in the darkness along the way. But, we’re directly asking God to spare of us all that.

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Then. Sometimes. In our own stubbornness, we continue down that road, because the temptations seem so rewarding in the moment. Then, we wonder why God allowed such evil to befall us. In a word; consequences.

God chastens those He loves. Yes. But, punishment is reserved for the wicked. Consequences follow when we walk where God has clearly shown us not to. We can’t feign ignorance, we have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us.

If I tell my granddaughter not to ride her bike in the middle of the road, and she defiantly does so anyway. She may get hit by a car. Being hurt by the car isn’t a punishment for riding where she was told not to, it’s a consequence. My telling her to be careful not to pedal there was a warning out of love, not me playing dictator and keeping her from “all the fun”.

For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory – forever and ever. Amen.

(picture from delivertheword.com)

Here comes the rejoicing and the hallelujahs again. What a thrill to share in God’s kingdom and in His power and in His glory! It’s all His, but, He chooses to bless us in all of it, simply because we are in Him and He is in us! Hallelujah! Ponder His kingdom, His power and His glory!

Along the trail, God brought my attention to a tiny ant carrying a stick that was measurably, much bigger than he was. As he made his way across the smooth sidewalk, I was impressed. He skittered down the edge of the sidewalk and through the grains of sand, that looked like boulders around him. He didn’t seem to let the harshness of his terrain deter him from his task at all.

Sometimes, our hearts are heavy and we carry them around for everyone to see, or we hide the struggle as if we’re punishing ourselves for feeling the crushing weight of whatever it is we’re going through.

Though our terrain changes, God is still God and at the end of the day, He’s still the One Who carries us. He’s still the One Who gets all the glory. He’s always the One Who never gives us on us; Who will always answer our call.  He is still, our Father.

Song: To Him Who is Able....

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” – Jude 1:24-25 (KJV)