EXISTENT PRAYER

A strange title, don't you think?  Existent Prayer.  Yet, its intent is to move us from the opposite of non-existent prayer.

Prayer is an odd sort.  It has no weight; so carrying it around is no problem.  I has no size; so storage isn't an issue.  It has no order; so learning the routine is nothing but flexible.

Prayer is as easy as breathing and just as meaningful.  So why do so few of us pray?

Shamefully, I will admit that as a minister, praying has been a challenge.  It takes up time; time no one else sees.  Plus, that time could be used working.  So it is not natural to take the time to move off to the side of a day and spend time speaking words into the air.

However, by faith we are called into such a spiritual exercise.  So....those like me enter into this discipline with overpowering reluctance.  We begrudge the time.  And then the breakthrough.  Something changes.  And we begin to begin to get it.

Effective prayer takes a dramatic move toward the meaningful when we shed the assumed concept that prayer is a grocery list of what I want, what I would like, and what I need.  The transitioning mechanism in this is one thing; His will.

When we pray, as did Jesus in the Garden, that His will be done (and we become okay with His will even if it goes contrary to ours), new life hits the prayer stage.  No longer do we hunt and peck for blessings for ourselves.  We engage in an outlandish and invisible theme of seeing God's hand moving upon earth.

We believe He is working, moving, and shaking.  Excitement builds.

We tend to pray when we are in trouble or at least facing threat.  God, help me pass this test.  Lord, don't let it be malignant.  We certainly are permitted to pray in this way.  But Jesus shows us an additional position by shifting from Father, let this cup pass from me to the more brave, But mainly let Your will be done.  

We tend to short-sheet His will.  We want our will and if we don't get our will we then declare prayer isn't what it was cut out to be.  Oh, but it is.

We are called to seek His will with the expectation that we will walk through His provision giving Him glory regardless.  Moodiness (getting our way or not) affects most prayers.  It is our responsibility to awaken to the truth that God does not exist for man and but man lives to demonstrate God's existence.

When we pray seeking His will, everything turns into a Yes.  Everything.  Benign or not.  Made the sale or didn't.  Improved the relationship or couldn't.  God gets the glory; for even in our failing to get what we wished, others will be blessed.

So it was with Jesus not getting his way.  He suffered and died....and we are blessed.  I urge you toward existent prayer.  Pray.  The outcome may not be what you wanted; and again it may be.  But you can be assured there will be outcome and it will be on His basis of how to bless the most.

Prayer.  May it be existent.