I'm going to jump out from the milestone I closed with last week, 'that prayer is to change us and not God' (a statement that always seems to pickle my brain slightly, but that every time I think about it seems to make more sense.) Prayer is about relationship. God knows us better than we know ourselves, and if there is a part of the relationship that is lacking, it is our part. We constantly need to get to know God better. But how would that be accomplished through prayer if all we did was ask God for anything and everything and just get it. We wouldn’t understand God’s Father heart for us any better but would become more and more like spoilt children.
God’s heart is that we are conformed to the image of His son – in other words that we become more like Jesus. One way for that to happen is through prayer and finding God’s heart for the things that we pray about and from there praying them, no matter how hard. We see Jesus praying this sort of prayer that is hungry for the will of God in the Garden of Gethsemane, check out Matthew 26: 36-46. Jesus battles for God’s will for Him and submits to whatever the Father chooses as He says “…Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Prayer is where we let God take over more and more and where we let go and surrender more and more. Prayer is where we say not how I want it but how you do Father because I know that you know best. Prayer is where we learn to agree with those difficult things which God asks of us because when we start agreeing with Him in prayer (the spirit) it is much easier to agree with Him in the natural (the soul/flesh).
We see David so often inquiring of the Lord in the Old Testament one example is 1 Samuel 23 where he seeks the Lord, obeys his command and is successful and finds favour. We need to start inquiring of the Lord again and praying out of His answer.
Sara Hesbrook
2003-02-03
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