Prayer, Week 2
Recently a dear friend of mine went to be with Jesus after battling a very rare cancer for several years. She was married and the mama of 6 amazing kids. During the years that she was sick, we saw God move in many miraculous ways. Time and again we prayed with fervency and asked God to spare her life, and yet in the end the result was not what we’d hoped or imagined it would be.
When we know the prayers we are praying align with the heart of God, and yet we don’t see the results we desire it can be unsettling. It can cause us to wonder if prayer is even worth doing; does it even make a difference?
This is where I think it matters how we understand prayer. If we consider prayer to be merely asking God to do things a certain way or to give us what we want, we have made God into the genie in the bottle waiting to grant our three wishes. But if we consider prayer to be communion with God, the bedrock of our days, we can know despite the outcomes that he remains faithful.
As I write this I am experiencing pain in my body. I have been for about a year. And if I’m honest today I feel angry. I know that I’ve had faith at least as big as a mustard seed. I know that I have joined in prayer with others and believed for my healing. I know that Jesus is enough. I know that God does miracles. But today, I feel angry because I’m still in pain. I feel angry that we don’t really know what is causing the pain. I feel angry that pain is a part of my story.
Yet, as I sit with the pain I am drawn to prayer. It might not be a pretty prayer. I ask God, why won’t you just heal me? Why can’t we figure out what is causing the problem? We’ve taken every step you’ve directed and still, all is not well. And I find myself asking why do I expect that all will always be well? That is never the promise we received. And I am reminded that despite the pain, God is near. He is with me. I can feel his presence. I know that he hears me and he isn’t mad at me for being angry. He loves me.
I find that I need help with my words today. I am drawn to Psalm 103. And I begin to pray -
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
The Lord performs righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.
As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer.
But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,
And his righteousness to children’s children,
To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.
The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.
Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
Bless the Lord, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
When I come to the end of these words I am thankful that they were prayed long ago and recorded. I am thankful that they speak the same truth about God today as they did when they were penned. I am thankful that I don’t always need my own words when I pray, but that I can borrow words from men and women who have traversed this life, with its ups and downs, before me.
Prayer matters. Always. At times we don’t know how or what to pray. In those moments, we might speak the name of Jesus. We might open up our Bible and begin to pray the words spoken long ago. We might use the Book of Common Prayer, or a book like Every Moment Holy to help us find words to pray. We might sit in silence and just be with God. We might go for a run. We might read poetry or look at art. We might cry. We might list our aches and frustrations. Prayer can come in many forms.
Last week we talked about having a rhythm of prayer. As you build that rhythm into your life know that prayer is not linear. God’s timing is often different than ours. Just because we don’t get an answer or see a result instantly does not mean that God is ignoring us. His love for us is longer, higher, deeper, and wider than we can ever comprehend. He is inviting us into a lifetime of communing with him, trusting him, resting in him, and allowing for him to be the constant we rely upon in every season and every circumstance. When we accept this invitation prayer becomes the bedrock of our life with Jesus.
~ Melissa