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Where is god right now...and is he listening?
But before we get started on becoming 'world changing pray-ers', we should probably deal with the very natural hesitancy we feel when engaging with these new and possibly different prayer practices. Yes, you can, at times, expect your prayer experience here to be ‘quite out of the ordinary’! But also, do expect some amazingly blessed and joyous times with Jesus and your loving Father God and their Spirit of Compassion. For sure, we can trust they will be able to take care of us and all our concerns in the days to come!
And where do we best begin? Perhaps with the unspoken question that challenges us all at one time or another. “Where is God right now…and is He listening?” That question reflects a common expectation of what prayer is…or ‘should’ be…which can be very misleading! Prayer may just be something different altogether from what we ‘traditionally’ expect.
Prayer Refocused
Typically, mention the word ‘prayer’ and we mentally reach for the needs that we would like to make known to God ‘way up there, above it all.’ Or we are reminded of the unanswered requests in the past that haunt us and make us hesitate to ask anything...even now. We may have been told God’s answers to our prayers are ‘Yes,’ ‘No,’ and ‘Not yet.’ But all this still says that prayer only functions for us as an Apollo 13 astronaut's hotline call, “Houston, we have a problem!”...to Someone who may or may not be listening.
Prayer starts with...
But what if we were to picture prayer as starting, not with us and our needs, but with God? What if we were to recognize that he is not way out there but instead immediately present to our current situation and more than willing to turn the mundane...sacred! It turns out that Jesus and his Father are already prepared to be the answer for whatever comes our way...and no matter how overwhelming things appear to be. When our manner of praying ‘re-focuses’ in this way, how we see our circumstances changes dramatically...and so does our prayer!
Emmanuel, 'God with us'
In that moment, our first and most basic ‘request’ becomes “What are You up to in this situation, God?” This 'open ended question' prayer assumes that He is already on the scene and working with my real, earthy difficulties for both my short and, even more, my long term benefit. Accepting that He is present with me also says that I can now see my ‘prayer’ as a response to his first move and to how he has been engaged, watching over and already working with me toward some end I may only vaguely ‘get.’
Jesus’ other ‘given’ name, "Emmanuel, God with us" means…each day I can relax a little bit more and just enjoy the ride-along with Him. And throughout the day, I can also trust He has my hour by hour micro-story so well in hand that I can let go of my oftentimes 'very intense' need to control everything that 'may happen' and just enjoy the back-and-forth conversation we are having. And my experience in prayer-conversation with him says that every 'request' that comes to mind has been anticipated by my God who "is love" and already fits beautifully with His big picture story, His plan to re-create the world ‘very good’ again story. (1 John 4:16; Matt 1:23; Rev 21:1-4)
A 'Safe' People...
Whatever trouble comes my way in this "present evil age" (Paul, Gal 1:4), Jesus wants me to know for a fact that I am not facing it alone...that I now do life by his side…and that we together can overcome any challenge and bring healing help to any situation. And that 'place' next to him is where my compassion, well-being and joy can blossom and overflow to others…because I truly am safe with him...always. (John 16:33; Hebrews 13:5)
Release!
And with this perspective on my life’s journey, my prayers can release my white-knuckled grip on how my situation has to turn out. Now I can trust him to work with and through me and my inadequacy – even using my mistakes and failures and my incompetent ‘godliness’...which often includes my lack of prayer and more grumbling, groaning and worrying than what you could call ‘faith-full’ prayer.
Giving it all up
When we do 'give it all up' to Him like this – having figured out just how totally overwhelmed we really are by the immensity and the intensity of our persistent difficulties – we find the Spirit of Jesus does step in and take over our heart and mind, permeating us with God’s even more intense presence and strength and wise understanding. We receive instantly (whether we are immediately aware or not) his personal provision of Himself for our journey. It turns out He Himself is the first and most real “answer” to our prayers in any given moment. (Matthew 1:23 and 28:20; Psalm 23:4)
And he never gives up on us!
Gradually, we come to realize that he is leading us...all through our day...into how to deal with what has now become our (his first and mine second) ‘situation’...and that includes how to pray for it! But even when we can only barely speak up, in “groans that cannot be articulated,” He never gives up on us. He is, of course, so intimate with our circumstances that even wordless prayers make sense to him. (Rom 8:26-27; Hebrews 13:5; Joshua 1:9; Deuteronomy 31:6)
Jesus' promise to you
If this way of seeing prayer is new to you and all this sounds like too much effort and way to complex, “just ask what you will.” Jesus advised that! And then expect him to stay with you to make prayer ‘work’ and this new process a natural part of your day to day activities. Eventually, you will find these God initiated prayer times a “light and easy” way through the most and even the least trying concerns you face. That’s Jesus’ ‘set in stone’ promise to you. (Matthew 11:28-30; John 15:7)
The last word is...?
Always, team wrestling – with God at your side! – makes winning life’s knock-down-drag-out matches with all kinds of issues ultimately meaningful and successful, whatever the seeming outcome in the present moment. For Him and us, even death loses in the end. After all, the last word about death (resurrection) says we will be getting together with Jesus and our true Father in a totally healthy new creation...hopefully very soon!
REFLECTING ON ALL THIS:
How can this way of refocusing prayer on "God with us" help you?
What gives you pause? (that nagging, “But what about...” question that is bugging you right now.)
What do you wish were true for your prayer life with Him?
And how can He (and we) help you make those wishes and dreams come true?
We are saying that prayer is really just being in open conversation with Someone who is already gently engaged with your life and cares a lot. Your thoughts?
A friend’s unrehearsed comment: “When I finally get to praying, my whole world is turned right side up…and me with it.” What’s your experience?
Let’s capture the possibilities...
Frank Laubach (of "Laubach Literacy" fame) wanted to see how many minutes of his day he could stay focused on God. Realizing how difficult that would be, he decided to make a game of it, "a game of minutes." Throughout his day, wherever that day took him, he would consciously try, for just one more minute, to "recognize" God's presence there with him, even if it only lasted 10 or 20 seconds.
This week let's try out his "game of minutes." It is true we face a constant barrage of distractions, but what if we turn all that over to God and ask Him to help us this week add just five more 'minutes' where we recognize 'He is here for me!'?
Could we experience Philippians 4:4-7? That is,
- could rejoicing in the Lord's loving presence over and over again happen for us? (v. 4)
- could our safe place at His side lead us to be gentler and more patient with others…
and ourselves?! (v. 5)
- could Paul's words become our average, everyday story?
The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God,
and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (vv. 5b-7)
Let's capture the possibilities...this week! And again, share your story with someone you trust will appreciate it.
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For more encouragement…
If God's Spirit helped you in some specific way through this quick reflection on how he is already 'there for you,' please share your story via the Subscribe link below. On the other hand, if it somehow raised unsettling questions for you, please do contact us anyway via the Contact Us page above, as every question, however difficult to ask, is worth considering, for both our sakes!
HOW ENGAGED IS HE WITH YOUR LIFE JOURNEY? (Psalm 23:1-6 NIV)
The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for You are with me.
Your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil,
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Footnote: Most often the main point in Hebrew poetry comes in the very center. That means “for You are with me” sums up the message of this Prayer-Song ("Psalm") and would be an easy choice to take with you.
What does it say to you?
Take a moment to let it sink in: "God, You are with me." And then, verse by verse, look for ways David's prayer might fit with your very specific life-situations right now. [You can make notes either above or below or on a separate page.]
Even more specific question: What is David telling you about God...yourself...your family/friends... your relationships?
Putting it all together, what does it mean to you that he is so caringly close at hand right now…and refusing to leave you alone?
Finally, to make God's compassionate presence "for me" endure for the long haul, let's make note of one to three verses (3x5 cards/digital device) that speak most deeply to your heart and spirit right now...and then, post them somewhere you can see them at least once – preferably twice! – a day.
At the end of the week, share the effect living with these verses had on you with someone you can trust to appreciate your story.
Do this again next week and the week after...for as long as it takes to become 'used to' having Jesus 'always here for me'. Even if you have to skip a week, in time the 'theme' of the song – Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us – will stay with you...and eventually become the 'place' you begin and end your day...and spend many "minutes" in between.