Towards Faith
Three years ago, my good friend went into ministry.
Like I do, she had to build a support community. Like I do, she recognizes that there are multiple types of support necessary.
At the end of her presentation, she asked me for various types of support: 1) pray, 2) give financially, or 3) connect her to others. I didn't really have the funds to give, but I felt bad saying no to everything, so I said, "I'll definitely pray for you!"
In the last 3 years, I've prayed over her ministry probably about 4 times.
As Christians, we very often use prayer as a strategic tactic. We use it to deflect difficult decisions and avoid hard conversations. We use it as an excuse.
How many people who told me that they will pray for me while I'm in New Orleans actually will? How many were just saying it to avoid an awkward ending to the conversation?
How many times have you told someone you would "keep them in your prayers" or that you were "praying for them" and not actually said a single prayer? Personally, I don't want to count the number of times I've done that.
Why do we do this? Why do we make our God seem small and weak by telling others that we will pray for answers and miracles and then when nothing happens they believe that God is not good or powerful, when in reality it is because we never asked God?
This is certainly bearing false witness.
I have an hypothesis. I think that we do this because we do not truly believe that God will listen to us or answer our prayers or give us miracles. I think that we are too afraid of looking foolish in front of others when we don't see the miracles that we asked for to be bold in our requests.
At least that's my reasoning. I really struggle to ask for big things because I don't think that God will deliver. The lies that I believe are that I'm not worthy of God's attention and that miracles don't happen anymore anyway. It feels easier to simply rely on myself.
And if I pray and nothing happens, people will think I'm crazy or, worse, stupid. Right?
When I was at a church in Ghana, I remember being worried that they were teaching the "prosperity gospel," where if God loves you and you are good then you will prosper financially. I realized, though, that that wasn't what was happening. What was happening was that these believers' faith was huge. They were not afraid of asking for miracles. They were not afraid of looking foolish in their requests. They really believed that prayer works.
Here, we downplay the power of prayer. We have access to talk to the all-powerful, all knowing, all-present creator of the universe. This Being cares for us as a community and as individuals and wants to listen to us and bless us in ways that we cannot even imagine.
Yet we nonchalantly toss that about as if it's not a big deal. We tell people that we will ask the Creator of the Universe to care for them and then simply don't.
Someone wise told me once, "Rather than telling someone you will pray for them, why don't you ask them if you can pray over them in that moment? That way they hear your prayer and can be encouraged and you don't have to worry about forgetting."
My desire is to become more faithful in prayer, both praying faithfully and having faith in prayer.
Like I do, she had to build a support community. Like I do, she recognizes that there are multiple types of support necessary.
At the end of her presentation, she asked me for various types of support: 1) pray, 2) give financially, or 3) connect her to others. I didn't really have the funds to give, but I felt bad saying no to everything, so I said, "I'll definitely pray for you!"
In the last 3 years, I've prayed over her ministry probably about 4 times.
As Christians, we very often use prayer as a strategic tactic. We use it to deflect difficult decisions and avoid hard conversations. We use it as an excuse.
How many people who told me that they will pray for me while I'm in New Orleans actually will? How many were just saying it to avoid an awkward ending to the conversation?
How many times have you told someone you would "keep them in your prayers" or that you were "praying for them" and not actually said a single prayer? Personally, I don't want to count the number of times I've done that.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12
This is certainly bearing false witness.
I have an hypothesis. I think that we do this because we do not truly believe that God will listen to us or answer our prayers or give us miracles. I think that we are too afraid of looking foolish in front of others when we don't see the miracles that we asked for to be bold in our requests.
At least that's my reasoning. I really struggle to ask for big things because I don't think that God will deliver. The lies that I believe are that I'm not worthy of God's attention and that miracles don't happen anymore anyway. It feels easier to simply rely on myself.
And if I pray and nothing happens, people will think I'm crazy or, worse, stupid. Right?
When I was at a church in Ghana, I remember being worried that they were teaching the "prosperity gospel," where if God loves you and you are good then you will prosper financially. I realized, though, that that wasn't what was happening. What was happening was that these believers' faith was huge. They were not afraid of asking for miracles. They were not afraid of looking foolish in their requests. They really believed that prayer works.
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:9-13
Here, we downplay the power of prayer. We have access to talk to the all-powerful, all knowing, all-present creator of the universe. This Being cares for us as a community and as individuals and wants to listen to us and bless us in ways that we cannot even imagine.
Yet we nonchalantly toss that about as if it's not a big deal. We tell people that we will ask the Creator of the Universe to care for them and then simply don't.
Someone wise told me once, "Rather than telling someone you will pray for them, why don't you ask them if you can pray over them in that moment? That way they hear your prayer and can be encouraged and you don't have to worry about forgetting."
My desire is to become more faithful in prayer, both praying faithfully and having faith in prayer.
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