God is omniscient in everything and He can do all things. These are things we know and take seriously deep in our hearts. As a pastor I learned it's easy to say "Just pray about it" and take that as the final authority on all things. Prayer is powerful, but somehow in our crazy, mixed-up world we have equated prayer similar to that Staples button they use on their commercial. When we have had all we can stand we push that button (prayer) and it all gets better. But what if it doesn't?
Hang with me here. As a pastor I have prayed for the healing of several hundred, possibly several thousand people in 45 years. Some got better, some got worse. Some got up off their bed of affliction, some never did. Some of them that were supposed to die lived, but others not even close to death passed away. I prayed with the same diligence for each of them, had the same faith, and believed in the same way. For some prayer was the answer, but for others nothing really changed. The reality is no matter how many times I prayed and who I prayed for, the final decision wasn't up to me, but to God. He was the One that responded in His way and in His time. All the ones He raised up didn't serve Him even after their miracle, and then He took some of the best members that I ever had when I wasn't prepared to let them go. In every situation the key thing was "I prayed about it". Each and every time I prayed, I believed; even though His answers to my prayers were not always to my liking.
Prayer is not our "Get Out Of Jail Free" pass. We need to pray about all things, but when the answer is different than we expect we don't need to get mad with God. Yet most non-believers or disappointed believers do exactly that. Hey, I prayed that I would never go through some of the stuff that I have in the ministry, but magically that stuff didn't disappear when I prayed about it. I have dealt with some devilish situations and people in my day, sometimes praying into the early morning hours hoping for relief, but it never came when I prayed about it. When I had to make a decision about retiring because my body and mind were not recuperating from the effects of my stroke, I had prayed for 9 months for complete healing, but it never came even though I prayed about it. What I've learned and am still learning is that prayer does work, but God's going to do what He wants to do to perfect Himself in us, through us, and with us. If that means learning I am not self-sufficient and totally dependent upon Him so be it. It's not going to stop me from praying and believing for the best, but I'm not going to get mad with God if He doesn't respond as I would hope.
Prayer does work. I am positive about that, but it doesn't always bring the happy ending you expect. It doesn't always change your situation, but you know God has taken the time to hear you when you called upon His name. That person that lied about you may never get what they deserve in this life. That church that did you wrong may never apologize. In fact there are days when you will feel alone, dejected, and deflated because what you prayed about didn't happen as you intended. Yet praying makes you realize how truly dependent you are upon God in times of distress and trouble. It soothes your soul just knowing that in spite of what God does in your situation, good or bad, at least you have talked with Him about it. Always remember He didn't bring you this far to leave you and He didn't lift you up to let you down. So whatever happens, be assured He's still in authority and somehow will bring good out of bad.
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