SPIRIT BRAND

SPIRITUALITY for the 21st Century

I am laughing in the inside because of a conversation earlier this week.  Have you ever prayed a prayer like this, “Lord, I want you to do this for me!”  “Now!” 

I really believe that God must be amused at His people; or like a parent, He understands that sometimes we are really silly (like a child, who doesn’t really know what they are saying…)!

Maybe we pray, “Lord, if it be your will, let me have such and such…”  “I want the real thing, not a knock off!”  We couch our hidden agenda with the “if it’s your will” card!  Of course, I want it to be His will, because it is mine!

We might try this approach, “God, do this because_______.”  “You said that you give us the desires of our heart!”  We can remind God of His obligation, duty to perform as He should for us!  Oh, did I forget He is God?

Our prayers are often couched with an addendum.  You understand what an addendum is, don’t you?  Webster defines addendum as, “textual matter that is added onto a publication; usually at the end.”  Usually, as I pray, I have an addendum to my prayer!  For some reason, I have the innate desire to add to my request–an addendum!  How about you?

Our prayer life and prayers usually gives us away!  They tell our story and our spiritual journey!  They are a reflection of our spirituality!  For example, let us look at Jesus at the crucible moment of his life, at the garden of Gethsemane.

In Matthew 26, Matthew writes, “Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. ³⁸Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” ³⁹Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” ⁴⁰Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. ⁴¹“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” ⁴²He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” ⁴³When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.”

You will notice a few things about Jesus’ prayer:

1.  Jesus is real…he is fully aware of his emotions and feelings.  He understands what is surrounding him and doesn’t particularly like it!  “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death…”  We can be real in our prayers to God.

2.  Jesus leaves God an out…he understands that God is God.  We may want something from God, but God is still God!  “My Father, if it is possible…”  Can our prayers give God an option?  We can let God be God!

3.  Jesus is not self-absorbed…he understands that there is someone Greater than him.  Although he is God-incarnate, Jesus lives in selfless abandonment.  “Yet not as I will, but as you will…”  We can let go of ourselves in order to allow God reign in our lives.  We can be God-absorbed!

4.  Jesus is decisive…even in his prayer life; Jesus shows us that when we come to crucible moments, decisions are necessary!  Jesus’ foreknowledge does not preclude his choices in humanity.  Decide today, even as you offer prayers to the ultimate Decision-maker!

Lord, teach us how to pray as we should!