Complicated Hope

As part of “It’s Not About Me November,” I am posting some blogs from other websites I have written for in the past.  Why?  They remind us of God’s goodness to us!  Praying – it is not about us!

Sometimes I make things too complicated.

I over-think things.

And that spills over into my nights.

4:00 am  –  I’m wondering why we pray?  Why do we make endless requests to God?  Why do we remind God of His word?  Why do we plead with Him to bless us?

Does He not know our heart?  Does He not know our needs?  He wrote the Bible through divine inspiration – He surely remembers what He said!  And as a nation and people and through the gift of salvation, we are already so blessed, are we just greedy?

      Stop.

I can hear your minds right now – some are quoting the Lord’s Prayer.  Some of you are making arguments based on numerous sermons and Bible studies and even experience.

I get that.  I know those answers.

     Be Honest.

Just for a moment.  Admit it – haven’t you ever wondered if your prayers are just an exercise that you go through to receive whatever God already has planned for you?  Do you ever find yourself praying and just saying, “whatever God.  You’re gonna do it your way no matter what I say.”  Do you find yourself repeating and repeating yourself and knowing this is not what God meant when He told us to pray?

     Yeah, I thought so. 

We don’t really want to admit that we question the usefulness of the most basic practice of all religions and the foundation of the Christian’s relationship with Christ.

     Prayer

This morning as I wrestled with the deep theological impact of praying and even contemplated doing a fast of “request praying,” I felt that peaceful whisper in my heart.

     “You are making it too complicated.”

I tend to do that.  My husband once said I could plan the fun out of any event.  I over-think.  Over-plan.  Over-rehearse.

And then in frustration, I do the complete opposite – I give up.

It would be easy to go to the internet and do a search on “Why we pray” and give you a 3-point outline with scriptures and quotes from the most well-respected theologians for our time.  But that’s complicating it too much.   Keep it Simple, Kim

    So, Why do I pray?

I can.

    I can go right to God anytime, anywhere, for anything;  for nothing but to say “thanks” or “that’s amazing”

I trust Him.

   He’s ways are perfect.  Sometimes, I need to pour out my heart and hear my self cry out to God so that I then remind myself, “He’s got this!”

It Sustains Me.

   Just the moment I think I will give up prayer for a day, I found myself thanking God for my pillow. I hear an ambulance in the wee morning hours and pray for the safety of those involved in the emergency.  I loose my keys and ask for God’s direction. 

  I truly believe God is interested in the intimate, mundane minutiae of my life and constant contact with Him in prayer reminds me that He loves me.

   That’s “prayer without ceasing” – living life in constant contact with the Father!

Why do you pray?  Keep it simple.  Keep it honest  . . . and keep Praying!

Rejoice always,

pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 (ESV)