What Do You Pray For?
When things are going great...why is it that I feel I don't need the Lord? As much as I've been through, you would think that I would get the point that I need the Lord everyday of my life. We take so much for granted, especially when things are going good. However, when things turn for the worst, we want to have a prayer vigil. We want everyone to get real serious regarding our sour situation. We want to put all the stops out!
I need God to get out of the bed. I need Him to brush my teeth and put my clothes on. I need Him to breathe, I need Him for any and everything that I can think of right now...and there is not ever a time that I won't need Him. But, in our earthly mindset, I can't help but think of television shows and the only time you see them praying is when someone is at the point of death on the show and you see someone go into the chapel at the local hospital. If you think about it, that's the only time when they mention that there is a God. At the time of sickness which may lead to death.
This is the same thing we do...well, let me make it personal, it's what I do and I've got to do better. I can't just pray when I'm in trouble. I've got to stay before the Lord when things are good as well. I'm reminded of the time that I prayed and prayed and prayed to the Lord for a particular blessing. I was at every church service and I was at prayer all the time. If my friends would call me and ask me to do something, I'd tell them NO, I gotta go to church! :) But, when God blessed me with what I had been praying for, then, I changed. That earnest seek was gone. I didnt' pray as much...I couldn't quite make it to biblestudy in the middle of the week. I wouldn't do both services on Sundays, I'd pick one to attend. OH, get this...when I was seeking the Lord for the answer, I got real real spiritual too. All I listened to in the car was gospel music. lol All I had time to listen to were preaching cd's...if someone got in the car and put on the radio, if it wasn't gospel, then I didn't have time for it. But when I got what I wanted from the Lord, I didn't keep the same aggressive approach with the Lord.
Today I thank Him for Grace. Because I've been one selfish "mutha" down through the years! I've come to the realization that it's been all about me! My prayers have been, Lord, I want...Lord, I need...NOW! Lord, I've got to have...In Jesus' name, Amen.
As I reflect, it makes me wonder why He would put up with my crazy self as foolish as I've been. I'd act one way in front of the crowd and more specifically in front of church folk and then another way after I received my blessing! In His Divinity, He doesn't have to be patient with my Humanity, but He is, and for that I'm grateful.
I need the Lord and can no longer afford to just come to Him when I need something. I need to spend time with Him, just for who He is! He is God, the Creator, my Healer, my Deliverer, my Savior! And I today, proclaim that my desire is to be like David when he wrote in the Psalms, "As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after Thee."
The Prayer that Jesus taught the Disciples to pray is not selfish. As a matter of fact, in the prayer, it says nothing about praying for any of MY personal needs. Let's take a look at it.
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever, Amen.
This prayer starts with God and ends with God. Hmmmm...I ask you, what have you been praying for?
I need God to get out of the bed. I need Him to brush my teeth and put my clothes on. I need Him to breathe, I need Him for any and everything that I can think of right now...and there is not ever a time that I won't need Him. But, in our earthly mindset, I can't help but think of television shows and the only time you see them praying is when someone is at the point of death on the show and you see someone go into the chapel at the local hospital. If you think about it, that's the only time when they mention that there is a God. At the time of sickness which may lead to death.
This is the same thing we do...well, let me make it personal, it's what I do and I've got to do better. I can't just pray when I'm in trouble. I've got to stay before the Lord when things are good as well. I'm reminded of the time that I prayed and prayed and prayed to the Lord for a particular blessing. I was at every church service and I was at prayer all the time. If my friends would call me and ask me to do something, I'd tell them NO, I gotta go to church! :) But, when God blessed me with what I had been praying for, then, I changed. That earnest seek was gone. I didnt' pray as much...I couldn't quite make it to biblestudy in the middle of the week. I wouldn't do both services on Sundays, I'd pick one to attend. OH, get this...when I was seeking the Lord for the answer, I got real real spiritual too. All I listened to in the car was gospel music. lol All I had time to listen to were preaching cd's...if someone got in the car and put on the radio, if it wasn't gospel, then I didn't have time for it. But when I got what I wanted from the Lord, I didn't keep the same aggressive approach with the Lord.
Today I thank Him for Grace. Because I've been one selfish "mutha" down through the years! I've come to the realization that it's been all about me! My prayers have been, Lord, I want...Lord, I need...NOW! Lord, I've got to have...In Jesus' name, Amen.
As I reflect, it makes me wonder why He would put up with my crazy self as foolish as I've been. I'd act one way in front of the crowd and more specifically in front of church folk and then another way after I received my blessing! In His Divinity, He doesn't have to be patient with my Humanity, but He is, and for that I'm grateful.
I need the Lord and can no longer afford to just come to Him when I need something. I need to spend time with Him, just for who He is! He is God, the Creator, my Healer, my Deliverer, my Savior! And I today, proclaim that my desire is to be like David when he wrote in the Psalms, "As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after Thee."
The Prayer that Jesus taught the Disciples to pray is not selfish. As a matter of fact, in the prayer, it says nothing about praying for any of MY personal needs. Let's take a look at it.
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever, Amen.
This prayer starts with God and ends with God. Hmmmm...I ask you, what have you been praying for?
posted by Pastor Rich at 12:55 PM
1 Comments:
Hmmmmmmm, I haven't! I am at a point right now, where it is hard to pray. I mean I get down there and can't find the words, the words are there in me, but to form them and speak them, I can not do. I feel as if I don't know what to pray for, for others, myself, for what, for WHAT!
It is frustrating to me, I know that I need to pray, but I don't want to come to my father rambling on and on. My hearts desire is to be so close to him, I need him, this I know, but for now to pray is hard. I am in transition in a lot different areas of my life, and all is in an uproar, my emotions, my mind, my body, everything, but to pray, I can't.
So right now what do I pray for, nothing, what I want, all I want is my father in heaven to just come and sit with me, to hold me, to help me through this change.
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