The topic of prayer has been coming up a lot, recently. I expressed my frustrations on the lack of it in our group to my Hospitality team leader, and I prayed with a friend who basically believes that prayer doesn't do squat, and then soon after that, we talked about it at our young adults' group and then put it into practice. Then today, one of the women in our Sunday morning discussion group stated that we should boldly ask in prayer, in such a tone as I could tell that the common approach to prayer is a frustration of hers as well.
Growing up, prayer was never filled with hope. I got the idea that some of the most prominent church leaders were afraid that if we hoped in our prayers, that if God's answer wasn't what we wanted that it would drive everyone away from God. But if a person's faith is so dependent on God's works, instead of on God Himself, their faith will fall apart eventually, anyway. Basically, I learned the cowardly way to pray.
If our God is so different, shouldn't we not only believe it, but see it and trust? "What father, when asked for bread, will give his child a stone?"
It's been a constant struggle of mine to understand when boldness turns into pride, when humility turns to fear. How do I "pray in faith" if I don't know what God's answer will be?
Today I remembered what just might be one of the most perfect examples. 2 Samuel 12:13-23.
"So David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the LORD.' And Nathan said to David, 'The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.'
Then Nathan departed to his house.
And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it became ill.
David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.
So the elders of his house arose and wen to him, to raise him up from the ground. but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.
Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, 'Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!'
When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, 'Is the child dead?' And they said, 'He is dead.'
So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate.
Then his servants said to him, 'What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.'
And he said, 'While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, "Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?" But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.' "
I don't believe that every pain or answer of "No" from God is because of sin or punishment. In this case, it was, but just the way David handled it, I believe is how we should approach any situation, any prayer.
That's all I have time to share tonight.
