What does prayer mean to you? Do you look at it as an opportunity to commune with God, to make your requests and petitions or just another Christian expectation that is hard to do?
Recently, a colleague mentioned that she knows a lady who prays about 3 hours a day (not all at once). One of my first thoughts was ‘3hours?!!! How is that even possible?!’
Before long, I was comparing her prayer life to mine. I wasn’t even sure of the last time I passed the one-hour mark. I imagined that said woman was just trying to make the rest of us look bad.
Did you notice how an innocuous statement led to my assumptions and unfair judgment? I judged the woman (who I didn’t even know), and also judged myself.
Perhaps, you’ve done this too, quick to snort or make derisive remarks when you hear about another person’s life, especially if it’s an area where you’re struggling.
Last week, we talked about making time to pray and in the midst of this, we have to realize that we are all different.
Whatever happens, please don’t fall into the trap of comparing your spiritual life to that of others or believing you’re a better or worse Christian simply by what you see others do.
Newsflash: our Christian race is individual.
Though we are all members of the body of Christ, our Lord and Savior longs to have a personal relationship with each of us. He is not going to ask me why I didn’t pray like Sandra, or read my Bible like Nancy.
God’s yardstick for each of us is personal so he will be judging us based on what he knows we can do.
He does not expect us to be like others but to be the best version of ourselves. God calls us to do better because he knows our gifts and potential.
Which leads to the most important question of your life:
“WHAT DOES GOD WANT ME TO DO?”
At every juncture of our lives, we have to be willing to ask what God expects of us. What he wants us to do and achieve.
This means that every time we pray, every time we bring a request or supplication to God, we must remember to subject that request to his will and plan for us.
One sentence we should add to our prayer
Sis, did you ever pray about a particular thing so much that you just couldn’t entertain the possibility of it not happening or not being the right thing for you?
I have had so many of those moments; I would say that since God loves me, he will give me what I want.
I remember praying this way about getting into certain schools, getting a great job and of course, marrying whoever was my current crush at that point (I’m I the only one that did this?!!)
This created a cycle where I focused on myself and my desires, it was about me and more me. Even when I got the things I wanted, the things I believed were the very things I needed to live a great life, I would quickly find out it wasn’t all it cracked out to be and move on to the next thing.
It was tiring and my happiness was usually short-lived.
Many times, we are so caught up in our issues and wishes that we never consider that what we want may not be the right thing or the right time. In those moments, we are convinced that we deserve that good and lovely thing and it has to be ours.
But Sis, what is God saying?
Did you subject your desire to his will and plan for your life?
Did you tell him, “ Lord, not my will but thine be done” and did you actually mean it, even if the words felt like bricks in your mouth, unwielding and uncomfortable?
Subjecting our every will and desire to God is one of the hardest things we will ever do but one of the most important. It is the very thing that changes the tone and place of our relationship with Him.
The best part is that God understands our struggle, he understands that we had rather have our way than let him have His. He knows that we often believe His way is harder and will mean we will suffer. Cue – Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.
Jesus also had his moment, he said:
“My father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.
Matthew 26:39(NIV)
So, don’t think you’re alone in this. We are all on life’s journey, falling and getting back up.
God wants us to seek Him –His will, His plans, His purposes – first before anything else. This is because he knows us better than we could ever know ourselves.
He knows what you need per time and understands that many times, we allow our flesh and emotions get us into situations that are unhealthy for us. When you pray, ask that God’s will, not yours, be done.
Do you need more tips on how to pray according to God’s will? Read this post.
So many good thoughts here. Thank you for personalizing this post with issues that at times you we’re focused on. I think we need to pray through and for those things we feel strongly about so we can be open to the thought that maybe good does have another plan for us. For Jesus’ example you gave, He knew the will of God for Him there; we often don’t. I wonder what if more people would take time asking what is God’s will for me at this time. Maybe it is to marry that cute guy (or cute girl as it was in my case).
Thanks for sharing this post.
Kevin
Hi Kevin, thank you so much for your comment. So true, many times we do really know God’s will for us. I believe it will be a game changer if we spent more time asking God to reveal his will to us rather than just telling him what we want, per time.