Prayer

This is a reprint of a comment from Huffington Post in response to an article on prayer. It's heartfelt. Thanks so much to the person who wrote it.

Let us not confuse earnest, faithful prayer, and a solid Christian understanding of prayer, with the general human thought about prayer. We are taught that God indeed answers prayer, but, like the good father that he is, the answer isn't always "yes". Perhaps a good way to appreciate prayer is to look at it from the perspective of a parent. When my child asks for something, anything, I know that granting it, while well within my power, may not be in his or her best interest at that moment, or ever. I might be well able to afford a car for my 16-year-old, but in my judgement, that child may not yet me mature enough for the responsibility of being the primary operator of a motor vehicle. I do not exist to grant every desire of my child; I am responsible for taking loving care of my child, and sometimes that means saying no. Now, that may not be the perfect example of what we have here, but it does go to a very important point of Christian faith. We believe in a parenting God who has the best interest of all his children in mind, and who uses all things, good and bad, to his plan and his glory. I often wondered as a child why Jesus just didn't heal all the sick in the world during his lifetime. As I understand it today, the healing Jesus performed was not really about healing in and of itself, but about demonstrating to a sceptical world the love, grace and power of him who had sent Jesus. Prayer, true prayer, as we learn from even a rudimentary study of scripture, is not about "name it and claim it", as so many would have one believe.

When my mother was dying from cancer, I prayed for her healing, until I saw that it wasn't going to happen. And I got truly angry with God, so angry that I almost lost my faith. Then I saw how God was using that cancer to change hearts and lives by changing my mother. The grace and strength and dignity she displayed during her last few months were inspiring. And she died happy, fulfilled, at peace, and full of more joy than I had ever seen in her. This from a woman who was struck down literally in her prime. So God said, "No, I will not heal her from her cancer, but I will use it to bless her, and you, and your family, and your congregation, and every single life that she touches." No, I do not have my mother anymore. But I do have peace and grace that I would not have known had she not died how and when she did.

I do not expect many of you to understand or appreciate that. Nor do I expect that this will change any minds or hearts today. I would ask that you simply consider this: If there is a God, wouldn't you want him to be much more than a "wishing well"? And if God does indeed have all within his power, why would he not use every tool in his power to accomplish what is in his will? Simple faith does not make us simpletons.

And please keep this in mind, my liberal and progressive brothers and sisters: Not all Christians are "Red Staters"; not all evangelicals are conservative; and not all of us who believe the Bible is the eternal word of God believe it should be taught in public schools. And the best way for me to share the Gospel with you is not to try to choke you with it.

By: WalkByFaith on March 31, 2006 at 04:03pm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/03/30/study-prayer-has-no-medi_n_18204.html?p=4#comments