"In my own frustrations with prayer, I used to focus on the lack of God's intervention. Why won't God do what I ask? My perspective has changed as I understand prayer as a partnership, a subtle interplay of human and divine that accomplishes God's work on earth."
"God asks me to make myself known to him in prayer and then works my prayers into a master plan for my life --a plan which I can only faintly grasp." (quotation from PRAYER Does It Make Any Difference by Philip Yancy)
Wow!
This insight has really gripped my heart the last 24 hours.
I am realy feeling compelled to pray in the spirit, in truth. To seek His will in my prayers, not my own, is the ultimate goal in my relationship with Him. In doing so, He will continually unveil His plan for my life, which will lead me into action. However, it is not natural for me to go into prayer thinking that God "works my prayers into a master plan." But, it is quite reassuring - reassuring in the fact that if I do pray for something that is not in His divine plan, but am seeking His perfect will, He will work that into my heart. Our prayers, although immature and selfish at times, are corrected by the Spirit - He intercedes for the saints although we may be off track at times. Many times we pray - I pray - attempting to convince myself that I am praying for good things - so they must be right things and God will surely grant them - like a jeannie in a bottle. But, the Lord is teaching me that not all good things are right for my life. I must seek His rightness - His righteousness to be lived out in me - even if it means that I may not have every "good" thing, but will have the things that are good for ME. I cannot truly understand God's grand plan for my life.
However, I can see glimpses of His plan
- I can faintly see it -
and it is enough to spur me on in prayer!
Tonight, I am praying for God to continue to reveal His plan in my conversations with Him. I want to listen - I want my prayer life to be fashioned after His will - not my own. It is hard to yield my will to His sometimes - it is a daily battle - I am only human, you know.
Surely I am not the only person who prays selfish prayers at times, right?
However, tonight, in particular, very specific areas of my life, I am very desperate for His direction - not my own because my own way isn't working - obviously.
Yielding tonight,
Melisa
Wow!
This insight has really gripped my heart the last 24 hours.
I am realy feeling compelled to pray in the spirit, in truth. To seek His will in my prayers, not my own, is the ultimate goal in my relationship with Him. In doing so, He will continually unveil His plan for my life, which will lead me into action. However, it is not natural for me to go into prayer thinking that God "works my prayers into a master plan." But, it is quite reassuring - reassuring in the fact that if I do pray for something that is not in His divine plan, but am seeking His perfect will, He will work that into my heart. Our prayers, although immature and selfish at times, are corrected by the Spirit - He intercedes for the saints although we may be off track at times. Many times we pray - I pray - attempting to convince myself that I am praying for good things - so they must be right things and God will surely grant them - like a jeannie in a bottle. But, the Lord is teaching me that not all good things are right for my life. I must seek His rightness - His righteousness to be lived out in me - even if it means that I may not have every "good" thing, but will have the things that are good for ME. I cannot truly understand God's grand plan for my life.
However, I can see glimpses of His plan
- I can faintly see it -
and it is enough to spur me on in prayer!
Tonight, I am praying for God to continue to reveal His plan in my conversations with Him. I want to listen - I want my prayer life to be fashioned after His will - not my own. It is hard to yield my will to His sometimes - it is a daily battle - I am only human, you know.
Surely I am not the only person who prays selfish prayers at times, right?
However, tonight, in particular, very specific areas of my life, I am very desperate for His direction - not my own because my own way isn't working - obviously.
Yielding tonight,
Melisa
3 comments:
I needed to read these words tonight so badly...
Thank you!
It is so awesome to know that he Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe hears the prayers of His children and ANSWERS them. Amazing! His answers may not come as we wanted them to or even expected them to, but we can find peace knowing that the God who loves us so much that He sent His own Son to die for us - the God who loved us since before He created the world - the God who wants the best for each one of His children- will give us the absolute best answer to each one of our prayers (whether those answers be "yes", "no", or even "wait")> Still, we find ourselves praying for what we think is best! Ugh...will we ever ever learn?
Can't wait to see you guys!
Nicely said! I find myself only praying for, "My four and no more". I feel so guilty that I don't have a burden for others like I want to have. I've been praying for a burden for the lost and hurting, but I feel bad that I HAVE to pray for that. I'm too self focused.
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