Tonight we dive into the Why's of Unanswered prayer with the youth. I was planning on plowing through about 14 different reasons prayer may go unanswered. It's looking more and more like we may stretch this into another (3rd week) on the topic, so we can really dive in and catch the character and person of God rather than simply getting the answers...As we go through the reasons on Wednesday Night, we will take a more categorical approach... dividing the reasons into 3 themes...
- God's World (Creation and the way it seems to work)
- God's Will (God's interaction with man and free will)
- God's War (the cosmic and unseen stuggle between good and evil)
On the blog, I'm going to approach it a much less categorical and empirical fashion, but instead simply let you in on the light bulb moments for me in my journey of unanswered prayers.
I'll start with the most significant realization in my journey of why...
It's best explained in this old rabinical story of a king and his sons:
I'll start with the most significant realization in my journey of why...
It's best explained in this old rabinical story of a king and his sons:
There is a king who has two sons. Each of them comes to receive his gift from the royal table. The first son appears at his father's doorway, and as soon as he is seen, his request is granted. The father holds his son in low esteem, and is annoyed by his presence. The king orders that the gifts be handed to his son at the door so that he will not approach the table. Then the king's beloved son appears. The father takes great pleasure in this son's arrival and does not want him to leave too quickly. For this reason the king delays granting his request, hoping that the son will then draw near to him. The son comes closer, he feels the father's love so deeply that he does not hesitate to stretch forth his own hand to the royal table.
Somewhere along the way, I've bought into a lie that God is...
...my spiritual santa who gives me gifts when I make it on his nice list.
...my vending machine where I put in the right amount of prayer and say the right code, and out pops my answer.
...my cosmic banker who will watch over my accounts and give me what I've got saved up and grant me the occasional low interest spiritual loan (12% instead of 10% tithing over the next two years).
He's my Father. He loves me. What's more, he loves to interact with me. Now, oddly enough, one of my more significant unanswered prayers is my desire to be a Father. I don't know and can't fully identify with the heart of a father toward His child. But I know this, whenever I get the opportunity to be a Father, I'll care deeply about that kid, and will desire to share my life with him/her. I'll desire healthy and loving relationship with that child. I will give that child what he/she wants and needs out of my love and desire for what's best for him/her.
I will cherish the time spent together sharing my life, my loves, and my passions in hopes that that child will share in that life, those loves, and those passions.
Is our Heavenly Father that much different? Has he been holding off on answering my prayers simply because he's saying, "Before we move on, let's just spend some more time together. Before you become a father, let me show you what a Perfect Father looks like."
He cares more about me than I could ever care about myself.
More on that next post.
...my spiritual santa who gives me gifts when I make it on his nice list.
...my vending machine where I put in the right amount of prayer and say the right code, and out pops my answer.
...my cosmic banker who will watch over my accounts and give me what I've got saved up and grant me the occasional low interest spiritual loan (12% instead of 10% tithing over the next two years).
He's my Father. He loves me. What's more, he loves to interact with me. Now, oddly enough, one of my more significant unanswered prayers is my desire to be a Father. I don't know and can't fully identify with the heart of a father toward His child. But I know this, whenever I get the opportunity to be a Father, I'll care deeply about that kid, and will desire to share my life with him/her. I'll desire healthy and loving relationship with that child. I will give that child what he/she wants and needs out of my love and desire for what's best for him/her.
I will cherish the time spent together sharing my life, my loves, and my passions in hopes that that child will share in that life, those loves, and those passions.
Is our Heavenly Father that much different? Has he been holding off on answering my prayers simply because he's saying, "Before we move on, let's just spend some more time together. Before you become a father, let me show you what a Perfect Father looks like."
He cares more about me than I could ever care about myself.
More on that next post.
1 comment:
I'm learning along with you. Thank you for your holy teaching. I currently have a no, a wait and silence. It's the peace to accept all of the above that is such a gift from Christ. Do I always choose to accept that gift? NO! I'm working on that. God BLESS you and Janelle. ~Leslie
Post a Comment