So, see you all next Monday evening!
A challenging, provocative and hopefully inspiring article on the importance of prayer!
https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/erikraymond/2016/09/23/if-we-are-so-burdened-then-why-arent-the-prayer-meetings-full/?utm_content=bufferc7522&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
2 Comments
OK I’ll weigh in. I think firstly we feel overwhelmed. We suffer from emotional overload because we’re confronted with more things than we’re designed to deal with. We’re battered with problems that the media brings to our attention and feel completely ineffectual in making a difference. Why are things going to change in e.g. Syria because I pray about it – there are Christians over there praying about it, there are global organisations praying about it, there are great men and women of God praying about it – my small voice won’t change anything. Nonetheless we will pray about it because it gives us some degree of emotional closure.
Secondly we are often tired. Our busier and more hectic lifestyles mean we physically and mentally jaded in the evening – I hate it but I often fall asleep on the sofa – and we need rest. (THere was a programme on ‘Rest’ on Radio4 yesterday http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07w0s5l).
Thirdly I think we often have the wrong idea of prayer – it can become a God’ll Fix IT shopping list, asking God to intervene in things we don’t like, or we think He doesn’t like, or to make good things happen, when I think it’s meant to be more of a conversation between two people.
And if a conversation is to deepen the relationship between two people listening plays a big part. I suspect it ought to be more of…’this situation makes me angry/sad/helpless/anxious – what do You think about it?’….. ‘Do I need to change my attitudes/outlook toward this’, ….. ‘What part, if any, do You want me to play to help the situation/those people’.
(This isn’t complete but seems a good place to pause/stop)
I know exactly what you mean Rhod. I think you reflect a lot of what we all feel. But what I also know is though I never want to go to a prayer meeting, I never regret going! I always come away so encouraged and grateful for communal prayer! And no wonder because this has always been how the church grows and flourishes right from the first ever church meeting Acts 2:42-47.
I agree, prayer is all about a conversation with God and that is why a good prayer meeting involves listening to God’s word as well. I always find it remarkable that God has made it this way. He does’t need us, we can offer him nothing, like you say, what can my small voice offer?! Yet God commends us to pray, he loves us to pray and he involves us in his work and plans!
I like your examples of the sorts of questions we can ask in prayer!
I agree we need rest but I think the bible shows us true rest is resting in God and what better way than to lean on him and give him everything, our worries, our fears, our tiredness, our ineffectiveness in prayer.
I know I need to cut some other stuff out of my life first rather than to cut out prayer! But sadly I know often prayer is the first and easiest thing to cut! We need to encourage each other in this!