Sorry to be away so long. Been sick but I’m back J
I wanted to share a thought I had about prayer. Lately my family and I are going through a rough patch with money, job, kids, living situation, etc. and all of the things that life demands of us. God has sustained us thus far but we are at a point where we definitely need an answer to a very large prayer (I will share in another post our situation and what the results of our prayer were) and I’m sure that anyone who reads this can relate. I know you’ve had situations in your life where you felt that the only one who could save you is God. Well, hopefully this analogy will bring prayer into a better perspective.
If you live in America, I can safely say that everyone one has dined out AT LEAST once in their lives. If you’ve ever gone to a sit-down restaurant like an Olive Garden or Denny’s or whatever your favorite restaurant is on a Friday or Saturday night then you know the routine. You walk in through the front door, wait in line at the host desk, put your name on “The list” and then sit down and wait to be seated. How many times have you done this and while you are waiting another couple comes in, puts there name on the list, and in a couple of minutes they get seated before you and all of the others dying of starvation in the waiting area? Or, maybe you were the one who beat the odds and got a table right away?
Next, the same situation happens when ordering your meal. You notice your waiter at another table taking their order ahead of yours or maybe you place your order first but their food comes out before yours does. Have you ever noticed your waiter treating the other patrons better than you? When it comes time to pay the bill do you feel as though the cost far outweighed the experience?
Now, imagine going to a restaurant with the same inconveniences mentioned above and the waiter brings you the food he/she thinks you should eat. For example, you open up your menu and see all of the mouth watering, savior selections that tempt your appetite. You see the 5 cheese lasagna dripping with sauce and cheese and start to salivate, or the mouth-watering double decker hamburger with a large side of french fries that makes your stomach growl with anticipation, or maybe there’s a hot fudge sundae with large scoop of vanilla melting over a warm, chocolate, walnut brownie dessert that you’ve been dying to try. You order the lasagna with the hot fudge, chocolate, walnut brownie topped with the melting vanilla ice cream and a large soda and in 10 minutes your waiter returns with a chef salad, slices of fruit, and water. Or instead, your order the hamburger with fries and get fish with mixed vegetables with an iced tea. Maybe it’s the other way around and you order the side salad and the waiter brings you a thick, juicy, filet mignon with a loaded baked potato and a milkshake. Now let me help you to understand this analogy.
The bible talks about coveting. The bible talks about keeping your eyes on God and not on others. The bible also talks about blessing and rewards. What I hope you understand through this analogy is that with prayer, like the restaurant, sometimes other people will get answers to their prayers before you do, but in other times of your life you will receive answered prayer, while those around you wait. Also, you may ask for things you think you need, want, desire but it may not be the best thing for you. But if you start to compare your situation with other people around you be prepared to accept the good with the bad. More often than not we overlook the good but focus intently on the bad.
God knows everyone, their hearts, and their situations. As humans, we tend to focus on the outward but we truly cannot know what is going on with other human beings, even with family members, on the inward. Only God truly knows what’s best for each individual. For example, you may know someone who is in a financial bind and it would seem a blessing if they were to win the lottery, inherit a large amount of money, or be given a situation to make a lot of money. However, if God, knowing all things, could show you that if that person were to have that opportunity, they would become lazy, inconsiderate, greedy, selfish, and ultimately end up losing it all along and destroy all relationships with those he/she loves (Note 1). That is why even though you think YOU may know what’s best for you, it’s better to accept what God gives you and be thankful, even if seems painful at first.
As I stated before my family and I are going through a rough patch. God may bless us with what think we need or He may not. He might even bless us with something better than we asked for. At times we (my family) have taken our eyes off of God and focused on others who seem to be getting whatever they desire. Sure it hurts that we are still waiting for an answer and we have asked God why we are suffering, but in the end we remember that all suffer, but as Christians we count it all joy to suffer for Him. I would rather be made strong through suffering than be weak with satisfaction.
Bible verses
Matthew 7:7-11
7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened
to you.8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who
knocks it will be opened.9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for
bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?11 If
you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will
your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Matthew 6: 5-15
5.And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.8 Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our daily bread.12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6: 25-34
25 Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?28 So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?31 Therefore do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
James 1: 2-8
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
John 21: 20-22
20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, Lord, who is the one who betrays You?21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, But Lord, what about this man?22 Jesus said to him, If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.
Note 1
