What God Hears

4.6.2011

Psalm 65:2 2 O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come. NIV

God hears prayer – I don’t think He listens to much whining. What, today, is your prayer request? To what would you address, if God called you and said He wanted to go have coffee (or a Coke), and talk? My firm conviction is that most of our prayer is the whining of self (sorry folks, broad, sweeping generalization). And I want to own up that I am just as guilty as the next guy in this matter. Our prayers are, God fix it!, not, God, fix me!

Today, I am thinking about an elderly parent who is diminishing mentally fairly rapidly. Part of me wants to jump up, rush over to the town where this parent lives, and save the day – and I find my prayers are a reflection of that mentality. So, I waste a lot of mental energy scheming and dreaming about what I think ought to happen, rather than coming to God Almighty and humbly responding, Father, Your will be done, not mine.

Today, I am thinking about a 13-year old who needs his dad to pay more attention. And so rather than pray in inaction, Lord, what shall I do? (not a bad request) I pray in inaction, Lord, show me what to do! I think I hear God saying back, Paul, just be the dad I’ve created you to be! You already know what to do!

A lot of my praying is my attempt to just to check a box (pray without ceasing*); or to throw God a cheap substitute for my devotion in matters that are important to Him (“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men." *)

I think my biggest problem is I’m not broken - at least if I am, it's not working; I’m distracted. Maybe when I get desperate enough I’ll come to the One who hears prayer. That’s my only hope.

Father, Your will be done, not mine; may I obey You and trust You in prayer; and may my prayers be true communication and communion – not just whining away at my want-list…

* 1 Thessalonians5.17; Isaiah 29.13