Prayer

Before I became a Christian, I prayed. I was often confused and angry with the lack of answers. What I didn’t know was there are prayers God doesn’t listen to. God wants us to be humble before him. I also didn’t realize that I had to lay down my pride, my way, my life, to follow his grace, his way, and an eternal plan instead of my lowly earthly plan. I have listened to God’s calling for an  answer to prayer. Sometimes the answer comes with confusion mixing faith with illogical obedience springing me into action. I have been amazed at God’s work. I have also in my selfish ways gone my own way and I have been amazed at the level of my pride and stupidity. I will be a student of listening to the calling of God or  blindly walking in my own stupidity until I am safe at home in eternity. I love the book of James, he is blunt and sometimes his words cut deeply. He talks about prayer and humbling oneself before the Lord in James chapter four.

Sometimes I don’t respect God’s direction over mine. I need to know who my heavenly Father is humbling myself for his ways to be revealed. I need to be respectful of the one who made me.

Once I have an answer to prayer I need to follow through with action.

James calls us to be more than friends with the world, to desire what God desires, to not grieve the Holy Spirit, and to pray with the right motives.

How many characters in the bible humbled themselves in prayer and then acted? I think sometimes we don’t relate to the bible because if we do we must humble ourselves to God’s will and not our own. I think of the wonderful examples of God’s people moving forward to an answered prayer even when it didn’t make sense. I think of Abraham and how much he followed with belief, but was so imperfect in the process. God still brought him through and used him for his plan. We are all imperfect humans doing the best that we can, thank goodness for Grace and Mercy.

Please Lord, let us humble ourselves before you, knowing you and your ways are the answer even when it doesn’t make sense. Please let me follow your will and not my own. Please let me let go of being perfect and allow you to work in me and through me. Please hear my prayer, in Jesus name, Amen.