There is a dangerous idea that sometimes appears in Christian circles. If we are struggling with circumstances, someone, usually with good intentions, will ask us if we have prayed. Then they may suggest that we haven’t prayed “enough” or that maybe we haven’t prayed the “right” way.
We want to see results– immediate, dramatic, positive results. It’s what we expect from everything else in life; from the drive-thru fast food place, the vacation resort, weight loss program, graduation, manicure, even marriage. When results are not evident, or slow in coming, we think we can and must do something to speed up the process. We begin looking around for what else we can try– what else we “should have” done– to get the results we want. We even say to ourselves that God wants more from us before he will provide blessing or healing or a breakthrough.
But that’s not always the case. God makes everything good–IN HIS TIME. He has the power to bring about immediate change, but he frequently chooses to walk with us through the times of stress and shadows, when we can’t see the end from the beginning, and we are tempted to turn back or doubt. He doesn’t do this because he enjoys seeing us go through struggles, but because he knows that we learn to lean on him, to trust him, and to find our strength in him by traveling the narrow road.
Our prayers need to focus on God’s love and faithfulness. He knows our need, sees our situation, and hears our prayers. Our job is to know His word, look for his hand in our situation, and listen for his counsel as we trust him. We should not grow weary of praying or give up in our efforts. But neither should we doubt God’s wisdom or try to manipulate his timing with empty gestures or endless repetition.
Sometimes, we may find that God changes our desires, or opens our eyes to habits we need to change or worries we need to give over to him. Hear out those well-meaning folks–some of them may carry God’s wisdom. But in the end, our prayers– our life’s struggles and triumphs– are in God’s hands, not theirs. It’s not the quantity or the quality of your prayer that makes the difference. It’s the perfect love and timing of God.
Remember that even Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane– he prayed with so much intensity that he sweat blood drops. He prayed more than once that God might let the burden of death and separation pass from him. It wasn’t that Jesus didn’t pray “enough”, or that his prayers weren’t valid. It wasn’t that God didn’t listen or care about his own son. But God sent the assurance that Jesus needed to end his prayers with “Thy will be done.” So it should be with our prayers.
I would have taken the scenic route Stopped to smell the new-mown grass, Or the languid marshy odors Drifting through the open window of my car.
I might have stopped off to see my old friend Whose house I have passed a hundred times On my way from somewhere to somewhere else– Stayed awhile, relived memories or made new ones.
I would have let the others speak Drinking in their words, tasting them, weighing their wisdom And nodding, or not, let them take the spotlight a little longer While I held my own cleverness in check.
I would have prayed with more reflection, and Less impatience. I would have used fewer words, And chosen them with more care. I would have shown More gratitude and less “attitude.” I would have cried more and sighed less.
I would have risked speaking up in those awkward moments: “I didn’t mean that.” “I’m glad to know you.” “I’m so sorry.” “I love you.” “Please know that I love you.” “You have an amazing smile.” “You are important.” “God loves you with an everlasting, unshakable love!”
I would have watched more sunsets and fewer TV shows. I would have written more stories and read fewer magazines. I would have danced like no one was watching. I would have sung like no one was listening. I would have invited others to join me.
If I had known that I have five more years; Or five more months, or five more decades… Would I live differently? Pray differently? Love differently? I hope so.
Have you ever read the Dr. Seuss classic, “Green Eggs and Ham”? In this early childhood reader, the narrator (nameless) is accosted by an enthusiastic character named Sam (Sam I Am), who wants him to try a dish called green eggs and ham. But the narrator refuses. Sam keeps offering, but the narrator continues to refuse, saying he does not like green eggs and ham, and will not try them under a variety of circumstances (in a box, with a fox, on a train, in the rain, etc..) offered by the optimistic Sam.
Finally, Sam’s persistence wears down the narrator’s resistance, and he agrees to try the dish. To his surprise, he LOVES them. In his newfound enthusiasm, he declares he WILL eat them in a box, with a fox, in a tree, in a boat, with a goat, on a train, in the rain, here or there…in fact, he WILL eat them anywhere! He ends by thanking Sam.
So what does a children’s book have to do with prayer?
Well, I believe that the pursuit of prayer as an integral part of living a Christ-like lifestyle is kind of like green eggs and ham. Most people who dismiss the power of prayer have never really pursued it. They have seen it, heard about it– maybe even gotten a whiff of it. They may have “sampled” prayer many years ago as a child or in a single moment of desperation. And the result was disappointment or confusion. Prayer didn’t solve all their problems in an instant. They didn’t get the miracle they hoped for. They didn’t get the bike for Christmas. Their neighbor’s leukemia wasn’t cured. Their situation at work got even worse. Their wife still left and filed for divorce. “Prayer” left a bad taste in their mouth. And they have heard others dismiss prayer and faith as obsolete, ignorant practices, designed for backward and unenlightened people. Like the slightly nauseating color of green eggs and ham, prayer has been deemed unappetizing and best avoided.
And now, when someone mentions a lifestyle of prayer– when someone talks about praying as a daily habit, or a natural part of their worship–the reaction is scorn and suspicion. Prayer doesn’t look powerful. It doesn’t look appetizing. How can something so simple and tame have any effect? Why is the world still suffering so much injustice and evil if there are people out there praying every day? And why do Christians (and others with a prayer tradition) cling to prayer as though it will solve life’s problems?
But prayer, like eggs, can have a bad reputation. For years, we were told that eggs were awful for you– high in protein, yes, but also high in cholesterol, and likely to contribute to diabetes and colon cancer. Recent studies contradict each other, but many now say that eggs are actually good for you. Similarly, during times of crises or disasters, prayer is often derided as inactive and ineffective, and we get mixed messages about people who offer to pray for victims and their families.
Recently, I was challenged about my pursuit of prayer. What good does my prayer do in the face of injustice and disease, death and suffering that people experience? Why do I pray to a God that allows bad things to happen? I have been challenged before, and my answer remains the same. I pray because I have known the peace that comes from trusting God’s wisdom, HIS timing, and His Love for each of us. I don’t have answers for all the “what-ifs” or the “whys.” But I continue to trust that God DOES! And daily prayer is not about “me,” or my questions or what I wish for. It’s about communing with the God who has been faithful all my life and continues to be faithful in every season. The God I love, and the God who knows the end from the beginning.
So what if more of us prayed daily– not just as a reaction to disasters– but pro-actively? What if we prayed, not in anger or bitterness, not transactionally, expecting a particular outcome, but with gratitude for who God is, what He has already done, and what He will choose to do in His loving sovereignty? What if we prayed with open minds and hearts, trusting that we are talking to a God who loves us and knows what is best, not just in the temporary, but in the eternal scope of our lives? We would still see evil in this fallen world, but what if our prayers DO make a difference– we just don’t see the whole scope of what God has provided, or the evil He has NOT allowed to touch us?
I speak as one who has pursued prayer for more than half a century. I’m not perfect. Sometimes, I get frustrated when my desires don’t align with God’s answers. But that’s not the fault of Prayer. Prayer DOES change things– maybe not instantly, and maybe not in the ways I imagine in the short term– but I have seen and experienced the power of prayer. I have felt it in my own life, and I have seen in in studying history and talking to people whose lives were radically transformed by their prayers and the prayers of others.
In every situation, we can pray. So, to paraphrase Sam I Am, I WILL pray here and there! I will pray most anywhere (except I won’t close my eyes if I am driving!) So to end:
“I’ll be praying in a boat, I could be praying with a goat. I may be praying in the rain. Or in the dark. Or on a train.
And in a car (eyes open of course). And in a tree. Because Prayer, it is so good, you see!
So I would still pray in a box. And I would still pray with a fox. I will pray inside my house. And I will pray beside a mouse.
And I will write “Pursuing Prayer” Because I serve a Lord who Cares!
What if we all had the same enthusiasm for prayer as Sam had about Green Eggs and Ham? What if we keep praying “without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and with confidence (1 John 5:14-15) each day?
I saw an interesting site the other day about “Plant (ing) Your Spiritual Garden.” Spiritual Gardening
I’ve seen different versions– one version had some rows of “P”s, instead of “peace”– Peace, Prayer, Patience, and Positive Thinking. Another talked about keeping Be’s near your garden– Be Faithful, Be Loving, Be Kind, Be Anxious for Nothing, etc..
I love figurative language– parable and metaphor and such– the Bible uses it generously. Jesus used parables about gardens, planting, fruit trees, harvest, and vineyards throughout his teachings. He knew that we can listen on two levels and that we remember concepts better with visual and figurative examples.
Prayer is something we must cultivate–we can grow and produce fruit if we develop the pursuit and practice of prayer. Remember to pull out the weeds of busyness and doubt. Plant seeds of praise and trust, dig deep in the fertile soil of faith; allow for the key ingredients of the light of God’s Word and the Living Water of daily fellowship with Him.
There are a lot of other great tips to keep healthy growth happening. Need some more tips– check out this page. Proactive Prayer Points
If you have other tips, I’d love to hear them– please leave a comment or suggestion!
Smack-dab in the center of Sin and Pride; You could find me in Peril, Intrigue and Rebellion– Guilt surrounded me, pain and despair held me fast. But I was not in Repentance, Mercy, or Grace.
I had to die to “I”– let it go and let the Son redeem the Sin Trade Pride for Prayer, and Hype for Hope.
But I am no longer lost or dead– and no longer a slave to sin or pride. I can now be found in Faith, and Charity; I thrive in Fellowship, I have a Friend in Jesus, A Spirit to guide me, and a vision for Eternity. It is not “I” who lives, but “I AM” who lives in me. Salvation, forgiveness, life, and victory are all mine; Alive in Him, I am found in Christ– sanctified, And never alone.
Romans 8:1-5King James Version (KJV)
8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:57New International Version (NIV)
57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
A brief note about Scripture references and quotes: I try to give scripture references and quotes in various translations, though I give most in the New International Version (NIV), the English Standard Version (ESV) or the King James or New King James versions (KJV or NKJV). I don’t intend to cause confusion by doing this. There are several excellent translations/versions available, and for a good comparison, there are several wonderful Bible study websites (two of my favorites are Bible Gateway and Bible Hub ). I simply find that there are some nuances that make for easier reading or use in the blog. Often, one translation will have notes and cross references that are wonderful for further study, but confusing to include as part of the blog quote. I encourage anyone to read the verses in whatever translation they have available, feel most comfortable using, or feel is most trustworthy. I also welcome comments or corrections.
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
Have you ever noticed that God likes to use repetition to get our attention? In the book of Joshua, chapter 1, God says to Joshua “Be strong and courageous” (v.6)– but then he says it again, and again in the next few verses. In Genesis, God sends Pharaoh two dreams, which Joseph interprets. Joseph points out that the two dreams are the same, and that God has used them to grab Pharaoh’s attention.
The Apostle John took great notice of Jesus’ use of repetition. In the final chapters of his Gospel, he points out two instances where Jesus repeats questions and phrases to his disciples. Three times he asks Peter, “Do you love me (more than these)?” And three times, he gives him the charge to “feed my sheep/lambs”. Earlier, to all of the disciples, Jesus greets them with the phrase “Peace be with you.” Three times over two separate appearances, Jesus uses the same words. To this day, these words are used as a greeting in many churches around the world.
Often, this phrase is used as a blessing or a benediction–almost as a prayer FOR peace. Certainly, when Jesus used it to greet his disciples, they were in dire need of peace. They were holed up in an upper room, hiding from the Romans and Jewish leaders, in fear for their lives. The words may be interpreted as “Peace be given unto you” or “Peace come to you.”
But I think there is another meaning; a slightly different way to interpret this phrase. I think Jesus is announcing that peace actually resides WITH them, and will soon be within them (through the Holy Spirit). There may be chaos in the streets and all around us, but God’s Peace should go with us wherever we travel, wherever we are.
When we pray, we can do so in peace and confidence that God will hear our prayer, grant us the grace sufficient for our every need, and keep that which we have committed to him (our souls, our dreams, our hopes, and our burdens) safe.
Our culture is flooded with false assurance, and substitutes for the “Peace which passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). In fact, a popular cultural phenomenon– the Star Wars saga– offers a similar phrase, used as a benediction by the Jedi adherents: “May the Force be with you.” The Force referred to is a nebulous thing–energy that exists all around and can be tapped into, controlled, and used for good or evil, healing or power. The idea in Star Wars seems to be that there are two sides to “the Force”; presumably the person using “the Force” in a benediction is referring to its better nature, as the “dark side” of the Force brings violence, destruction, greed, and hatred.
God’s peace is a perfect peace. And it is one that should always be with us, even as it is poured out on us. Jesus adds: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” We are not just praying for peace to enter our lives and stay with us. We are to be the bringers of peace, the ambassadors of peace, and the beacons of peace in a dark and chaotic world.
The apostle Paul includes peace in his analogy of “the armor of God” in Ephesians 6, where he describes having our feet “fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. We need to walk in peace, march in peace, and stand firm in peace! Peace isn’t like a sword or shield that we take up or lay down. Peace needs to be part of our wardrobe– literally “with” us everywhere we go.
Let’s get moving! Let’s pray for peace! Let’s spread the peace!
An estimated 50,000,000 people died in the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919. Nearly 20 percent of the world’s population was infected/attacked by this virus. A reported 7,097,851 deaths (.1 percent of the population) resulted from the COVID-19 virus a hundred years later, while 777 million people were infected– roughly 10 percent of the world population at that time. **This results from a number of different factors–the Influenza pandemic of the twentieth century followed on the heels of WW1 and happened when the total world population was much smaller; also, the advances in medicine, communication, hygiene, etc., meant that fewer people died from the virus, more people were generally healthy and had better immune systems, and more treatments were available.
Over 60,000,000 lives were lost in World War II (Some estimates run as high as 80 million) This includes soldiers, civilians, detainees, prisoners of war, and victims of the Holocaust.
48,692,183,040 — the number of water drops/teardrops it would take to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool for Baby Shark. calculation here
70 x 7–(490)—-The number of times Jesus suggested we forgive our brother who offends us.
53– the number of words in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13 NIV)
757,514– the estimated number of words in the English Standard Version of the Bible (Old and New Testaments, without the Apocrypha).
10 — the number of Jesus’s original disciples who were martyred (Judas hanged himself, and John died in exile on Patmos).
3,000 –the number of converts on the day of Pentecost. From this number, the Church has spread to nearly every corner of the earth, and lives, communities, nations, and people groups have been radically transformed.
1—Lord and Savior, ruler and sustainer of all the earth, whose death and resurrection wipes away the curse of death, disease, and Sin! (See Deuteronomy 6:4 and Ephesians 4:5-13)
What do I bring before God when I pray? Awe, gratitude, requests, confession, what’s on my mind, my heart…there are many things I can lay on the altar. But what do I bring God that doesn’t originate with Him? What do I bring that has value independent of God? Nothing.
My relationship with God is completely uneven. God is the provider of everything I need. I owe Him everything, and have nothing to give that can begin to “repay” Him. What a blow to my pride, my self-sufficiency! What is the point of pretending I have anything to bring before an all-knowing and all-powerful God? All of nothing is still nothing.
But wait…
What do I bring before God when I pray? Awe for the beauty and power that inspires and uplifts me; gratitude for the blessings He has poured out so lavishly– life, health, family, joy, peace, grace, love… I bring requests, not idly, spewing them out to the wind or to random passers-by, but purposefully, to a God who hears. Confession, not coerced through torture, not met with unbearable punishment, but given freely in the knowledge that there is forgiveness and restoration on the other side of confession and repentance. I can bring thoughts, fears, hopes, dreams, joys, pains, disappointments, and frustrations and lay them on the altar–not as a reluctant sacrifice of a servant, but as the outpouring of love from a child to her beloved Father.
I can’t out-give God. But that’s not a fault or a lack. Instead, it is the mind-blowing reality that God is able to GIVE abundantly above all that I can hope or imagine. And even though He needs nothing, He eagerly desires to share with me all the awe and wonder, all the beauty and grace, all the majesty and power of who He is, and to accept from me the joy and humble acceptance of His gifts–nothing more, and nothing less.
I could give God nothing– no time, no credit, no joy, no love. Instead, I want to choose to give all. Because even all of nothing is still ALL, thanks be to God!
Have you ever watched a sporting event–a real nail-biter–and prayed for your team to win? Do you wonder if God is concerned about Little League or High School Basketball, or which team wins the Superbowl? And what about the parents and coaches on both teams praying to him–one side has to “lose”–how does God answer such prayers? DOES he answer such prayers?
While the Bible doesn’t give us a specific answer, I think there are some general principles that apply. When teams prepare for a big game, they may talk about their desire to win, they may study their opponents, assess their own strengths and weaknesses, and give themselves pep-talks about winning, but they don’t practice winning– they practice playing their best, improving those areas where they are weakest, and working to bring their best on game day. They don’t pray to win by default or by bad sportsmanship.
The apostle Paul uses athletic analogies for the Christian life– he talks about running the good race, fighting the good fight, and working to be worthy of the prize. But he doesn’t direct Christians to pray that God gives us a victory. Instead, he points out that the greatest victory– that over sin and death– has already been won! We don’t fight the battles wondering if our victory or loss will turn the tide of the war. We fight in the hope of strengthening our fellow warriors and bringing our victorious Savior more glory and honor.
This holds true in other areas as well. In politics, we fight to win, but not in desperation or despair, knowing that if we lose this battle, God is not defeated or even surprised by the outcome. Even in situations of corruption, despotism, and chaos, God can raise up leaders, topple evil powers, and bring renewal and revival. In war, we fight to win, we fight to defend what we know to be right; but even if we lose the battles, we don’t lose faith.
God doesn’t always give us “wins.” He doesn’t guarantee that we will never face setbacks or disappointments. In fact, sometimes we need to “lose.” We need to lose our selfish ambition, our pride, our drive to compare ourselves with others, our envy and greed, and our failure to submit to God’s best plan.
We pray for victory, but more than victory at any cost, we pray for God’s will to be victorious– for his strength to be shown even in and through our own weakness. We pray for victory on God’s terms– which may mean a painful loss today, and grieving for the night, but joy that comes in the morning. Great teams, great nations, great leaders– are not forged in continuous expectation of easy victory. Sometimes we learn more and become greater by learning from our failures.
Let’s not just pray to win– let’s pray to be more than conquerors (Romans 8:37)!
I started down the boulevard,
Freshly paved, smooth and gleaming,
Its lanes clearly marked and a gentle rise
Toward a glorious horizon.
New construction sites caught my eye;
Here was progress– here was the future!
I drove on, excited in my new course,
Dreaming of destiny and fulfillment.
Gradually, the scenery changed.
Construction gave way to abandoned projects:
Half-finished high-rises, silent storefronts,
Driveways leading nowhere, weedy parking lots.
Now the road, so smooth at the beginning,
Twisted and turned without purpose.
Gravel and broken pavement lined with
Abandoned cars and broken glass.
Frightening thoughts intruded–
I had seen no open stores, no gas stations,
No houses, or other cars for miles. I was alone.
There were no crossroads; no places to turn around.
The road that had begun with so much promise
Was now a rutted path going nowhere.
I woke up in a cold sweat– it had been a dream.
More– it had been a warning.
I had “good intentions” for my journey.
But the easy road, the appearance of future success
Had lured me away from the path marked with suffering
And paved with ancient truths.
I had packed no maps, ignored the GPS, and trusted to “instinct”
To lead me, not to a fixed destination, but to “discovery.”
I drifted back to sleep, and dreamed that I was back at the beginning.
Roads branched out all around me.
The gleaming new boulevard no longer held any appeal.
But now I studied the other roads.
There were so many; roads leading to “enlightenment”;
Roads offering “fame” and “immortality”;
Narrow paths promising “mysticism”;
Superhighways advertising “happiness.”
Off to the right, there was a tiny filling station–
The old fashioned kind, with a service man.
He offered to fill my tank, but then he said,
“They all end up in the same place, you know.”
I looked up into his eyes–eyes that held in them
The wisdom of the ages and boundless love.
“Enter in at the narrow gate…”
“I am the way, the truth, and the life…”
“This is the way, walk ye in it…”
He turned and walked through the back door
And I followed him down a sunlit path,
Up a small rise, and into glory.
Pursuing Prayer 