There are some prayers I no longer pray. That's right. There are some prayers I simply do not pray anymore. If you want to learn how to pray, here are 6 prayers I no longer pray:
1. "God, please be with me today." - Wait a minute! Jesus promised he would be with me to the very end of the age. I'm taking that as truth. So I've stopped wasting breath with asking the Lord to be with me on my day-to-day journey. I'd prefer to thank him for being with me on the journey.
2. "I bind that demonic spirit and send it..." to a specific place, like a desert, or a mountain range, or to the feet of Jesus. Look, I still bind the demonic and you call me a wacko for that if you want, but I just don't see that God calls me to 'send the demonic' to a particular place. Actually, after the meal I had at a particular fast-food restaurant I should cast them there... Or maybe that's where they already spend their time. Ahh, I digress...
3. "God if it's your will to make this person better..." Hmm... Now I'm going to play semantics for a minute and I must admit I still pray this occasionally, but surely IT IS God's will to make this person better. At least it is, if you take an eschatological view and understand there will be a time where there will be no pain, and no tears in the eyes, after God brings in a new heaven and a new earth. I prefer to speak to the sickness to be gone, in the name of Jesus. Well, some people have been getting healed in my local context; that convinces me to be a little more direct in my prayers. To be honest, I still pray in different ways for healing for people, but I think God appreciates some faith when we pray, that is, to pray in a way that actually believes God is able to and wants to initiate the answer to your prayer.
4. "God, help me grow the church." You of course know where I'm heading with this one. I still pray this at times, but I keep reminding myself, "GOD GROWS the CHURCH!" Yes, I am telling myself this, just as much as reminding you. Now, I have to say, if this is true, which I believe it is, then I partner with God in the extending of the Kingdom of God, and I plant and plant and uproot and plant and water... and watch God grow the meagre effort on my part. I can fertilize a plant and water a plant but I surely cannot grow it.
5. "God, please join us as we worship you this morning..." Wait a second?! If I do not pray this, am I suggesting God will not be with us in our gathering? God is present. Be reminded of the scripture in Matthew where the gospel writer suggests that where two or more are gathered, he's with us. He is in the midst. I believe it's called: omnipresence. Now, I would pray, "God, let the Holy Spirit move in a powerful way this morning," but that's different than asking the Lord to not forget to 'rock up'.
6. "Please bless Uncle Jeremy with his bad attitude. It really stinks Lord." Come on and admit it, you've prayed prayers like this! Instead a praying a blessing upon your relative or work colleague you end up giving God a rant about the imperfections of the one you are praying for. Be challenged. Why not pray, "God start a work in me..."
There you have it. 6 prayers I no longer pray.
1. "God, please be with me today." - Wait a minute! Jesus promised he would be with me to the very end of the age. I'm taking that as truth. So I've stopped wasting breath with asking the Lord to be with me on my day-to-day journey. I'd prefer to thank him for being with me on the journey.
2. "I bind that demonic spirit and send it..." to a specific place, like a desert, or a mountain range, or to the feet of Jesus. Look, I still bind the demonic and you call me a wacko for that if you want, but I just don't see that God calls me to 'send the demonic' to a particular place. Actually, after the meal I had at a particular fast-food restaurant I should cast them there... Or maybe that's where they already spend their time. Ahh, I digress...
3. "God if it's your will to make this person better..." Hmm... Now I'm going to play semantics for a minute and I must admit I still pray this occasionally, but surely IT IS God's will to make this person better. At least it is, if you take an eschatological view and understand there will be a time where there will be no pain, and no tears in the eyes, after God brings in a new heaven and a new earth. I prefer to speak to the sickness to be gone, in the name of Jesus. Well, some people have been getting healed in my local context; that convinces me to be a little more direct in my prayers. To be honest, I still pray in different ways for healing for people, but I think God appreciates some faith when we pray, that is, to pray in a way that actually believes God is able to and wants to initiate the answer to your prayer.
4. "God, help me grow the church." You of course know where I'm heading with this one. I still pray this at times, but I keep reminding myself, "GOD GROWS the CHURCH!" Yes, I am telling myself this, just as much as reminding you. Now, I have to say, if this is true, which I believe it is, then I partner with God in the extending of the Kingdom of God, and I plant and plant and uproot and plant and water... and watch God grow the meagre effort on my part. I can fertilize a plant and water a plant but I surely cannot grow it.
5. "God, please join us as we worship you this morning..." Wait a second?! If I do not pray this, am I suggesting God will not be with us in our gathering? God is present. Be reminded of the scripture in Matthew where the gospel writer suggests that where two or more are gathered, he's with us. He is in the midst. I believe it's called: omnipresence. Now, I would pray, "God, let the Holy Spirit move in a powerful way this morning," but that's different than asking the Lord to not forget to 'rock up'.
6. "Please bless Uncle Jeremy with his bad attitude. It really stinks Lord." Come on and admit it, you've prayed prayers like this! Instead a praying a blessing upon your relative or work colleague you end up giving God a rant about the imperfections of the one you are praying for. Be challenged. Why not pray, "God start a work in me..."
There you have it. 6 prayers I no longer pray.
Thank you Pete.
ReplyDeleteNo probs. God bless. :)
ReplyDelete