Spiritual ethought-prayer

There exist as many notions of prayer almost as much as there are people that exist. Why is it done. What is hoped for by praying. What does it accomplish in our circumstances and in our hearts. We might have called on God like a butler, or a lifeguard. We may have spoken to Him as a Savior, or Friend, or Holy Almighty God. Often I find it is quite one-sided on our part.

I think one thing we may not always contemplate is regardless of our wishes, prayer is to be an alignment of our will with God’s will. As Christ prayed before His death, “Thy will be done”. It was God’s will to not let the cup pass from Christ, therefore God the Father answered “No”.

Often I have felt prayer answered “wait” or “no” to be mystifying. But how can we truly know what is best when we can’t see around the next bend, let alone all the bends of our existence. God being outside of the created illusion of time hears our prayer not in time sequence before our experience. He simply hears in and through the entire framework of human existence. His will prevails.

I find this concept of alignment of will especially helpful when I pray God’s own Word from Scripture. Surely God cannot deny Himself. His words are His will. We are in prayer not to change God’s mind, to lobby our cause, or to order up our designs for our lives. Surely we approach His throne to boldly request, but also to boldly accept; To boldly listen, and to be completed by Him.

I found these very thought-provoking words on prayer from the sublime C.S. Lewis, one of my most favorite authors. I’d like to share it with you:

“…I dare not leave out the hard saying which I once heard from an experienced Christian: “I have seen many striking answers to prayer and more than one that I thought miraculous. But they usually come at the beginning: before conversion or soon after it. As the Christian life proceeds, they tend to be rarer. The refusals, too, are not only more frequent; they become more unmistakable, more emphatic.” Does God then forsake just those who serve him best? Well, He who served Him best of all said, near His tortured death, “Why, hast thou forsaken me?” When God becomes man, that Man, of all others, is least comforted by God, at His greatest need. There is a mystery here which, even if I had the power, I might not have the courage to explore. Meanwhile, little people like you and me, if our prayers are sometimes granted, beyond all hope and probability, had better not draw hasty conclusions to our own advantage. If we were stronger, we might be less tenderly treated. If we were braver, we might be sent, with far less help, to defend far more desperate posts in the great battle.”

How hard it can be to pray for His will when we know it may not be ours. How rewarding to fully trust in His omnipotence to surrender and align to His will. May we have a heart like His servant David. God’s grace is sufficient for us, in His good and perfect will.