| Crosswords: Asked and answered |
By Richard Prow ~ rpcrosswords@gmail.com
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“We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 6:26).
To be honest, prayer is a mystery to me. I get the who, what, when, where and why’s of it, but prayer is more complicated than that. It does not consist of a checklist to cross off. There is not a specific formula to follow. It constitutes more than just the 5 senses because it is beyond human reasoning. It resonates from God and returns back to Him, leaving us to feel at times as if we’re out of the loop; thus the requirement of the Holy Spirit to aid us in our ignorance.
Without the spontaneity of the Spirit our prayers can become as predictable as hot air at a pastor’s conference. Last Wednesday night’s prayer meeting could probably be recorded and played back this Wednesday without anyone seeming to notice. We recite a long list of the afflicted along with a doctor’s update and ask God to heal them. If someone has lost their job, we simply ask God to provide another with better benefits and pay. During times of conflict we beseech God for world peace. Come July, when the crops are staggering from drought, we pray for rain. Etc. Etc. Etc. Our prayers are most often about making our lives or someone else’s better. But is that always for the best?
My children have been in the midst of learning some tough life lessons lately. Some of those, ‘welcome to the real world moments’. I have the means to save the day and rescue them from some of their struggles, but I don’t think that’s the best course of action. Difficulties, no matter how painful, breed growth, maturity, perseverance and faith. If they are removed from their trials they remain in the same condition in which they started. And life is not meant to be stagnant.
Pray for healing. Pray for financial assistance. Pray for world peace. Just don’t expect God to instantly grant your every request the way in which you think it should be handled. God isn’t always looking to get us out of a difficult situation but rather through it. He’s not about saving us from our circumstances. He’s about saving us.
Jesus prayed that He might be spared from the crucifixion (Matthew 26:39). The Father decided that wasn’t the best course of action. Jesus accepted His answer and made His way towards Calvary. I wonder how many of us would have taken no for an answer.
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