Praying - and the Passage of Time

In this Advent season, I was reflecting on the words of the angel to Zechariah, who had been serving as priest in the temple.  The angel said to him:  "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard."  Luke 1:13.  The words that followed from the angel indicated that his wife, Elizabeth, would bear a son and whose name is to be John.

I started to wonder, considering that Elizabeth and Zechariah were up in years this certainly was a shock.  Had they actually been praying well into their old age?  Did they really believe that God would send them a child when Elizabeth was well beyond the child-bearing age?  Maybe they had given up and maybe not.

Whether they did or not, God knew their prayers and right at this time in their lives brings an answer.

It made me think of the scenario where we might have given up on our praying for something we have eagerly desired.  That doesn't mean that God has forgotten our fervent pleas for what we truly wanted.  We all live in the wildness of our God, who can do beyond what we ever can imagine!

What is your attitude toward prayer?  If a prayer has not been answered after a period of time, do you call it quits or do you still live in expectation?

Thinking Aloud with God in Prayer

I have always thought of prayer as best when being conversational and informal as opposed to presenting a monolog to God.  A monolog can turn out to be very stiff and formal.  God has given us the privilege to come in prayer; and moreover, to do it as a child would speak informally to one's parent.  Yes, we can pour out what is deep within our hearts to God.

Therefore, we can speak very frankly and directly in terms of letting God know exactly how we feel.  I believe this is one of the gifts of prayer.  We don't have to feel as if we are millions of miles away from our Creator.  We can speak to God as if God were standing right next to us and whose ear is attentive to our every word.

I came across these words in Psalm 30 the other day that really hit home to me about prayer.  "To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication: What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit?  Will the dust praise you?  Will it tell of your faithfulness?  Hear O Lord, and be gracious to me!  O Lord, be my helper!" (Psalm 30:8-10)

The psalmist is using basic logic.  If he has died, he can no longer praise God.  In other words, the psalmist was pleading to God to be saved when in danger because then he could continue bringing praise to his Creator.  While I have never made such a statement in prayer, it made me think of how we can be at times very frank with God.  It shows our intent and our love for all that God means to us.

So, how is your praying?  Have you ever been very frank and upfront with God?

From Pain to Confidence

Sometimes its hard to have any confidence or encouragement when things aren't going well.  We are apt to think the worst.  Moreover, we might feel that our resources are limited or have run dry.

David, in writing one of his psalms, found himself in a situation where he was praying for deliverance from his enemies.  At the beginning he wrote:  "How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long."  (Psalm 13:2)  He was very blunt with God.  He felt he was on the verge of being forgotten.  (vs. 1).

Have you ever felt like this?  Whatever you are up against seems to be overwhelming.

Then at the end of the psalm there is a different mood.  David writes:  "But I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation."  (Psalm 13:5)  It's having confidence in the midst of undergoing a great trial.  Perhaps, this is the paradox that people of faith have.  While the situation might seem to look hopeless, there can still be confidence that the situation can turn out okay.

It's more than just luck.  It's trusting in the God who has made heaven and Earth.  It is knowing that God's heart is always beating for you.  That's God's steadfast love!

So, when you pray, you can pour out your heart to God.  Let God know exactly how you feel; but then you can express your hope that you will prevail.