Staying Connected

I'm sure that there are times when you find it hard to pray. Too many things aren't going right. Your prayers aren't being answered (at least not fast enough). Can you still stay connected to God?

The psalmist offers us an interesting scenario as we learn from Psalm 73. As he looked out into the world he discovered that the wicked prospered and put this in contrast to his own life, where he had a clean heart and yet found himself suffering. It just wasn't fair. It didn't make sense to really stay connected to God.

But then he realized the end of the wicked. They will one day fall!

However, the psalmist was able to assert in faith to God: "Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you do hold my right hand." Ps. 73:23 Can we have this kind of faith - to stick with God even when things aren't going well? Reflect to on God's sticking with us despite our sin.

The best thing we can do amid life's downturns and unfairness is to keep our faith and to keep praying. Our relationship with God will mean more to us than anything else.

The Power of One

A few weeks ago I preached a sermon on a contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. It still resonates in my mind when I think of what took place. The goal was for each side to build an altar, offer a sacrifice, and see whose God can bring fire upon the sacrifice. Elijah was contending against 450 prophets of Baal. It was obviously lopsided with Elijah standing to be ridiculed if he lost.

Yet, Elijah won out - he was only one person praying to his God- and fire came down.

Sometimes we might wonder if our solitary prayer will have any power. Can God tune into me as one of 6.8 billion people on this planet? On top of that, amid my own weaknesses and shortcomings, will God be moved to do what I ask?

It's hard be alone. However, we really are not alone. With God we have all the power we need. We only need to be willing to offer pray and believe what God can do. Maybe when no one else can find a solution to a problem or doesn't offer to pray - maybe you are the one called to step up to the plate to pray.

Praying to Be Taught

The realm of praying is often viewed as being within limits. You have something you need; you bring it before God. Most of the time, it seems, we pray because we are faced with a problem - a sickness or some kind of an emergency, where we feel it would be worth our while to call upon God.

But notice these words of the psalmist: "Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth." (Psalm 86:11)

Ever think about praying to have God teach you what you need to know to be an obedient child of God? I have to admit it has been rare in my own life. We think we know what we are to do. We feel we have read enough in the Bible.

Then there is this facet of prayer to also help us align our life with God. Really, it is once again all about the relationship with God. By asking God "to teach us" we show our dependence and our respect for our Creator.

See where you are in your life. Are you hungry for the Lord's ways?

When Does Prayer Kick In?

As I was driving to church this morning, I came across a church sign that had the saying: "Prayer should be your first choice and not your last choice."

I wonder how many of us view prayer as a last choice. We have sought out various means to find a solution for a problem or find direction in life and have come up empty. We then feel the need for something more powerful than what we can do (or possibly what the world can offer).

When prayer becomes your first choice it changes the dynamic of what you are seeking to accomplish. God is part of your journey all along the way. It is God who can open doors that you might never have imagined. You know that you are not traveling alone.

Don't look at prayer as an adjunct to your life. Make God a partner in your journey. You will be amazed what this relationship will do to you.

Asking God to Listen

I came across these words in the psalms: "Hear my prayer, LORD God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob." Ps. 84:8 Do these words sound redundant? Why should we have to ask God to listen? Are we not sure that God is listening?

I believe that these words go to a deeper level. They display the humility in which the psalmist approaches prayer. The psalmist knows his place in the scheme of creation. He is the creature and God is the Creator.

To ask God "to hear" might sound like a plea; but after all as Martin Luther said about prayer: We are all beggars. We come to God in our sinfulness and hope that God will hear what we have to say.

These words of the psalmist give us direction about our posture in prayer. We can take nothing for granted. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging our humbleness, our need before God.

Praying with God's Attributes in Mind

It might be easy for us to come to God in prayer and not really reflect on this Being to whom we are praying. What is it about God that has meaning for our time in prayer and is the reason that we pray at all?

I believe the psalmist gives us some direction here. We have the words of Psalm 86: "But you, O Lord are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." (vs. 15)

The psalmist asserted his own condition of being poor and needy in the beginning and now includes these words about God's character in his prayer. What do we make of this inclusion?

I believe it is that the psalmist is saying he understands the kind of God that he has. For the psalmist's benefit, it is showing how he places trust for what he is praying.

Have you ever included such words as part of a prayer? What did it feel like? How might you do it in the future?

Your New Year's Wish

It's that time of year that we seek to make New Year's resolutions. We look how things went last year and think of what needs to be changed or perhaps what new we want to launch into for this new this year.

I wonder, too, what it is that you would want to pray for in this new year in relation to your own life. Maybe there is something specific you want to accomplish or possibly a bad habit to eliminate.

I wonder, too, if there is anything in your relationship with God you would like to see happen. For me, it is to spend more time in communion with God, reading Scripture and especially to be listening for God throughout the day. I know I will need to use prayer to ask God to help me find the time for this throughout each day and to have the attentiveness.

Believing in the power of prayer can be what is needed as we seek to draw closer to God in this new year.