What is your wish from God? Do you find
yourself disappointed sometimes that the answer to prayer wasn’t exactly what
you had hoped for? Here is an interesting insight I recently shared on Facebook
on unanswered prayer.
“First, I find that the modern interpretation
of prayer focuses too much on the intercessory genre. As though this is the
only prayer, science and other critics weigh much of its “debunking” on this
particular type. The Bible is full of other types of prayer that it is hardly
fair to base all prayer on this one category. Intercessory prayer is only part
of the vast array of prayer and to focus on that and proclaim its seeming inadequacy
is rather hasty.
Secondly, who are we to hurry God? Modern man has made God into a vending
machine. We pray one thing and we expect it to be answered in a few seconds
(compared to eternity or even the old age of the earth, which I believe). God
is not under any constraint to operate under our time line. I propose that
prayer has been answered, he has given man the ability to cure small pox,
construct buildings resistant to earthquakes and many more things which we take
for granted. Many people, including me, proclaim he answers miraculously.
However, our western mindset has deemed it inadequate because simply because it
does not happen under a microscope. I would gently suggest that the reason
prayer is not measureable is precisely because God wants man to have “faith”
and not believe in a thing we can measure and see (Hebrews 11:1). Thus, the
proclamation that miracles seem to happen in third world countries might carry
more weight than we give it. I am willing to accept the many witnesses of
people, including non-Christians, that state they have seen a miracle. I can
certainly expound on some of real life examples, but that probably would not
add to the discussion as critics might undermine those experiences as it did
not occur in labs. Who am I to judge their senses as inadequate? I believe in
the proclamation of scientists who I have not met as much as the average man
who have experienced miraculous things.
Finally, I think the purpose of prayer
is skewed. God is not Santa Clause. To utilize a verse from Matthew 7:9 and
proclaim God gives us if we ask is elementary in the understanding of the
Bible. 1 John 5:13-15 provides a perfect “if” clause to intercessory prayer. It
is only when we are praying for things that coincides with His will, is it
answered. There is no clause to when the prayer be answered. It is simply
answered according to his will. I might add, in his timing. I propose that the
purpose of prayer lies somewhere else. It lies in our relationship and our
deepening relationship with Him. God does not necessarily care for what we
pray, but that we do pray. Just as I enjoyed a cup of coffee with my dad discussing
theological topics and drawing our relationship even closer, God invites his
followers to draw closer to him. If the answer is a “no” all the more are we to
go to God and seek what it is he ultimately wants.”
Check what you are praying for. Many
times, the only prayer we pray are ones of want. We wish for something to
happen in hopes that God will make our lives a little better. We are disappointed
when it is not answered right away as though we know what is best for us!
Christmas season has turned into a “getting game” where our goal has become acquiring things as fast and much as we can. Check your prayers; don’t let it follow the same path as
Christmas.
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