Scootering

Scootering

Tuesday, 6 November 2018

Prayer

One of the more difficult things to get my head around is prayer. What is it for if God knows my every thought, even before I think it. And in Romans, it even says that God would teach you what you ought to pray: 

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our heartsknows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God." Romans 8: 26-27 (NIV)

What is prayer actually for?  I remember reading 2 books on prayer. One explained the different things that prayer is but it didn't give me that 1-minute explanation that I needed. If something is going to be of use to me, it has got to be simple enough for my goldfish memory to remember. I didn't manage to finish the other book - perhaps the 1-minute answer is at the end of that book. It bugs me to do something that I don't fully understand. 

I think I got the answer I was looking for today. Let me qualify this by saying that this is my view of prayer. There isn't a Bible verse that describes it this way. I am not entirely sure a pastor or theologian would agree with my illustration of what prayer is. All it is is a 1-minute explanation to myself, which helps me to pray with the greater conviction.

So for me, prayer is sticking my brain into God's realm. The rest of the body is here - the eyes, ears, mouth, the whole body, but the brain is with God. The brain off-loads everything to God, and takes wisdom from Him. The brain receives the power to believe and directs the body to take the right action. When the brain is tired and confused, it finds rest and peace. The brain is in conversation with God, offering God the open door to our lives. Our brain has an opportunity to see God's perspective, and can see how God is involved in a situation. Our brain understands that God is always in charge.

When someone mistreat you, the body may feel all the human sensations, but the brain who is connected to the heavenly realm releases it to God. It is able to focus on God's beauty rather that the temporal nuisance of this life. We see the God-possibilities rather that be limited by our human capabilities. We pray for miracles and what seems impossible because we know that our God is able.

To stick our brains into God's realm, we need to allow His Holy Spirit to put our head in the right position. It is not a matter of us trying and trying harder. Even when Jesus was with his disciples, they didn't know how to pray for healing. And they fell asleep when they ought to be praying for the challenging times ahead. But when the disciples received the Holy Spirit, they began to pray boldly. The book of Acts tells us this over and over again - it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that the miraculous happens. 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ~ Philippians 4:6







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