Wise parents have the ability to raise a child in a way that lets them know they are the most special and most loved member of the family. While raising them in this security of love, they also raise their child to be responsible and carry their load. The child knows that the world does not revolve around them and that there are endeavors beyond themselves.
God is a wise God. He loves us with a never-ending love. God hears the prayers of people around the world, but when you talk to Him, you have His complete attention. While God is giving you this security of love, He has expectations that you would serve and love Him. There are endeavors that are beyond us. The world does not revolve around us, but it does revolve by the very command of God.
Yesterday’s blog, “Parking Spaces and Tsunamis” addressed the paradox of Christian’s praying to God to rescue cats out of trees and finding them a parking space close to the front entrance while not praying about the problem of 33,000 children dying each day from hunger and disease.
So, maybe it is not OK to pray for things that are less urgent and is more self-centered.
The followers of Jesus asked Him how they should pray and Jesus taught them what we call, “The Lord’s Prayer”.
Matthew 6:9-13 “ Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘ Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘ Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
This prayer calls us to pray about things beyond us; God’s kingdom operating on earth in the same way it is operating in heaven, forgiving others and being delivered from evil. It also calls us to ask for one of the most basic needs we have, enough food for the day.
Jesus also tells His followers that even the less than perfect parents on this earth do whatever they can to give good gifts to their children that ask them. God is perfect in His love and will certainly give us what we need, especially the Holy Spirit.
So, we can still pray for help balancing the checkbook and for help with homework. We are called to pray for God’s perfect justice to come on this earth as it is in heaven and respond to what we can do to bring healing and wholeness to a broken world.
God is a wise God. He loves us with a never-ending love. God hears the prayers of people around the world, but when you talk to Him, you have His complete attention. While God is giving you this security of love, He has expectations that you would serve and love Him. There are endeavors that are beyond us. The world does not revolve around us, but it does revolve by the very command of God.
Yesterday’s blog, “Parking Spaces and Tsunamis” addressed the paradox of Christian’s praying to God to rescue cats out of trees and finding them a parking space close to the front entrance while not praying about the problem of 33,000 children dying each day from hunger and disease.
So, maybe it is not OK to pray for things that are less urgent and is more self-centered.
The followers of Jesus asked Him how they should pray and Jesus taught them what we call, “The Lord’s Prayer”.
Matthew 6:9-13 “ Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘ Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘ Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
This prayer calls us to pray about things beyond us; God’s kingdom operating on earth in the same way it is operating in heaven, forgiving others and being delivered from evil. It also calls us to ask for one of the most basic needs we have, enough food for the day.
Jesus also tells His followers that even the less than perfect parents on this earth do whatever they can to give good gifts to their children that ask them. God is perfect in His love and will certainly give us what we need, especially the Holy Spirit.
So, we can still pray for help balancing the checkbook and for help with homework. We are called to pray for God’s perfect justice to come on this earth as it is in heaven and respond to what we can do to bring healing and wholeness to a broken world.
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