Find the Joy!
Sometimes writing these blogs becomes more of a chore than a joy. The need to “put something out” becomes the primary drive behind the message. And sometimes, those blogs turn out amazingly well. God has a way of working through me, in spite of me, to get His message on paper whether I’m truly “in tune” with Him or not.
But that is not always the case. Sometimes I’m so consumed with the need to produce something that the task overwhelms the purpose, and the result can be less than satisfying, either for my readers or for me.
Such is not the case today. God has been urging me to speak about today’s topic for some time, and this morning He rousted me out of bed extra-early to make sure that I captured His message before the events of the day took over and dissipated my focus on Him.
So what has God been shouting in my ear for the last several days? He’s been telling me that He wants us to consider Prayer.
Reasons for Prayer.
There’s a LOT of praying going on in the world today. The Covid-19 Pandemic is ravaging the world’s population, and everyone is feeling very much “under siege.” Nothing brings us all to our knees like a disaster, and this one has certainly had that effect. For when our efforts are proven ineffective against a global threat, we inevitably turn to God to ask for His help and intervention. As they say, “There are no atheists in a foxhole.”
Please don’t take my comments to suggest that our prayers for healing, deliverance, and guidance are inappropriate because they are appropriate! Times of threat or urgent stress can make us more sensitive to our own frailty and inability to control our situation or circumstances. Frequently it is in these times that we hear Him more clearly and draw more closely to Him. Such times can be the catalyst that opens hearts, ears, and minds to Him that have previously been shut. For many, these are times that rekindle our faith or help us to find a faith where none had existed before. These times can result in a broad spiritual awakening and a turning to God that was sorely needed. And I believe this Covid menace is one such event.
So, by all means, we all need to be in prayerful supplication to God, asking Him for His intervention, asking for His guidance, and asking for His presence. We need to be praying urgently for healing for those who are (or will become) sick, for protection for those who are on the “front lines” in fighting this insidious disease, and for protection for those of us who have not yet personally experienced the illness.
It is right for us to ask these things of Him, for regardless of what we may otherwise think or believe, we will not conquer this disease or its effects without His help.
Listen as You Pray.
As I was praying several days ago, I started to “hear” myself pray. With an almost out-of-body experience, I began to observe myself and to realize what I was saying. As I “listened” to myself, I realized that my prayers had become much more about what I needed or wanted God to do for me than about what God wanted me to do in my life for Him.
President John F. Kennedy coined the famous phrase, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country!” His was a clarion call to the people of the United States to stop focusing on what they wanted their government be and to do on their behalf but rather to turn their thoughts and energies toward what they could do to make America a better place. He challenged the citizens of the country to stop focusing on themselves and to begin to focus on the country, the greater good, and the future for all its citizens.
A whole generation responded to his words, and out of his rhetoric, the Peace Corps was born. The young people of the 1960s heard his call and responded with the greatest societal upheaval since the New Deal. We live in a world today that was shaped by many of the ideas and actions that were spawned by that one phrase.
That other evening as I began to “hear” my prayers to God, I realized that they were all about “me.” “God, help me do this…”God, keep me safe.” “God, keep my finances, my possessions, and my position in the community secure.” “God, please help those who are on the front lines of our defense to keep my family and me safe. My prayers had become about what I wanted/needed God to do for me.
Not once did I ask what I could do to help anyone else. I didn’t pray for more financial resources so that I could contribute more to the fight against CV-19. I didn’t pray for guidance for ways that I could ease the burden on those who were sick, or on those who were caring for them. I was praying for “me and mine,” not “those and theirs.” And I was ashamed.
And I realized that this “self-centeredness” had broader implications. I had slipped into the sin of thinking that God was there “for me.” I’d forgotten that I am here because of and for God.
That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t care for or about me. Of course, He does! We are assured of this fact dozens of times in Scripture and in our own experience. God cares for and about each of us, more deeply than any of us can imagine. He didn’t just send Jesus to us; He sent Jesus for us! That single act demonstrated just how important each of us is to Him.
But, we must not forget that God doesn’t exist for us. We exist for Him! Yes, He cares for us, but that is so that we can serve His purposes here in this world and at this time. We are His creations, made by Him not just to worship Him, but also to be His hands, His eyes, His ears, and, yes, His heart to one another and the world.
Our prayers should include askings for the things we need, but they should ask primarily for His guidance so that we can do the things He wants, be where He wants us to be, and care for one another as we would for ourselves.[John 13:34] We should stop asking God for what He can do for us! We need to be asking God what we can do for Him. We need to stop expecting God to conform to our vision of Him, but rather to turn all our efforts toward becoming expressions of Him to one another.
When we “Seek first the kingdom of God,” Jesus assures us that, “… all else will be given to you.” [Matthew 6:33]
New Dimensions!
Since I had this “revelation,” my prayer life has taken on new dimensions. I feel that I am more focused on the things that really matter, not to me, but to Him. I am still, very much, a “work in progress,” but I feel that my days are more fulfilling, and sometimes (like when I am writing this particular blog), I can almost feel His presence sizzling through my veins!
I am no longer weighed down by guilt over what I “could have” or “should not have” done. Now, I am buoyed by the confidence that what I do (for the most part) is in harmony with what He wants and that I am using my time here to do what I can to make this a better place today than it was yesterday.
My prayers still include my needs and concerns, but they are no longer about just those. Now they are mostly about Him and what He wants me to do for you.
So, I close this edition with a new phrase. “Ask not what God can do for you. Ask what you can do for God.” And, “all these things will be given to you.”
Amen.
God’s Blessing on You All.
Richard
May 9, 2020
