A few days ago, I reflected on the idea of God’s love for us. We remind ourselves that He loves us so much that He has to say no to some of our prayers, because He sees and knows ALL!
Could you imagine if I granted every request that my 3 year-old makes?
He would be one of two things:
A. An arrogant little jerk who thinks he runs the world.
B. Dead.
So, we understand that God doesn’t answer all of our prayers in the affirmative. We know that He knows all, so we back off.
Wait. Be careful. Don’t back off. We earnestly seek Him.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are 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 7:7-12 (ESV)
Like children, we ask our Father to guide and direct us; to provide and to protect. We ask Him to teach us and we expect good fathers to discipline us. But we don’t just ask Him for stuff. We sit in His lap and smile at Him. We say we love Him. We spend time with Him. I would be one devastated father if all my children ever wanted was my stuff.
Because I am ruthlessly after their hearts. Ruthlessly.
There is power in prayer because it knits our hearts together with the Father’s heart! We hear phrases like, “the power of prayer,” and we automatically recall stories of people having their prayers answered. I’d like to suggest that some of my most powerful moments in prayer were when I poured my bleeding heart out to God, when I honestly felt like He had His back turned to me. On the other end of that, I experienced nearness.
The nearness of God, His proximity and availability, is such a blessing! It’s enough!
I thought I’d post a song that’s really echoed this thought for me (not so much about prayer, but about His presence and faithfulness). I hope it blesses you like it blesses me! It’s on repeat in my ear buds on the daily!