(Isaiah 65:24)
How often do we pray, but never really expect anything to
happen? Praying for many has become almost like a superstition. How many
pray with confidence? How many pray expecting God to answer? You see,
prayer works because God gave us this way to communicate with Him. We do it
almost
as a chore at times. Usually we do it when we have failed and don't have
any other answers. Prayer should never be the last resort, but the first
option. So many emails I get each day state that God doesn't hear their
prayers, that God isn't answering them. First of all, God's timing is not our
timing. Many times you are praying and God is trying to answer in a
different way. Prayer is not like buying a lottery ticket. If your number
doesn't come up, you lose. God ALWAYS hears your prayers, and God ALWAYS
answers your prayers...maybe not in the time frame you want, or in the way
you want, but God does answer.
The problems I find with most people's prayer life is the unrealistic
expectations they have. In so many cases, their own rebellion and
disobedience has put them in a difficult situation. Now they run to God
like He is a genie in the bottle, expecting everything to be fixed overnight.
That is not real life. Can God do it? Of course, but that is not the way
it normally works. In the midst of a tragedy, people pray, and then when
everything isn't better, they think God has not heard them or He doesn't
care. Again, you have unrealistic, unscriptural expectations of God. God has a plan, a plan that works if you have read the end of the Book. He is on the
throne and in control at all times. He knows what is going on. Can I then
explain why He allows some of the horrific things that happen in the world,
to people every day, to happen? No. I am not even going to pretend to
understand all God is doing. I do know this. He loves us. He cares about
us. He promised all things will work together for good to those who love
Him. It doesn't say it will work together the way we want it to.
So if all I have just said is true, what is the point of praying? Because
that is how we communicate with God. That is sometimes how He communicates
His wishes to us. He told us to come boldly before the throne of grace.
Over and over he exhorts us to ask, to pray, and to seek Him. One thing prayer
does is confirm who is in control. Another thing it does is help us to know
God better as we see Him working in our life. Prayer also reaffirms our
dependence upon Him, and is a way of surrendering our will for His. These
are all things we need to do daily to mature as believers, to better know
God, so ultimately we become more productive servants of our King.
Liveprayer is about one thing...prayer. It is the most powerful thing we
can do. Our men and women of God who sit before our camera 24 hours a day,
7-days a week are there simply to pray for the needs of people worldwide who
need God. The response I give, my staff gives to the thousands of personal
emails each day, all revolve around prayer. Above all, we pray because in
many cases, we have no other options.
I will be praying for you today, praying that you will understand better
prayer and its power. Use the great access God has given us to Him, not
just in out time of need, but every day. I love you, and am praying that
today you will open your heart and let God speak to you about how you can
see more results out of your prayer life as you focus more on what God wants
and less on what you want. Prayer does work, and it is our greatest weapon.
Don't neglect it.
