Devotion
I am a firm believer in prayer.
That said, I don’t see prayer as a magical formula that fixes every problem in our lives. When we use prayer to try and make our lives “perfect” from our perspective, we miss its true purpose.
Why are our prayers often so specific?
As I reflect on this, I realize we tend to pray for almost everything in our lives. But when we pray, do we genuinely seek to relinquish control to God? Do we expect specific outcomes or look to God to be some great magician or physician who can magically fix everything?
When we look deeply, the essence of prayer lies in relinquishing control.
Think about it: when you share a troubling situation with friends or family, you’re letting go of some control over that situation by allowing them to understand what’s troubling you. Do you expect them to fix all your problems or make everything perfect?
Most of us don’t expect that from others, yet might still tell them anyway.
There should be a difference between confiding in those close to us and sharing with God, but this similarity remains. While we believe that God can bring about profound changes in our lives, expecting Him to do so in a supernatural way can damage the relationship we have. It can lead us to turn to God only when we need something, rather than maintaining a deep and continuous relationship.
We should approach God as someone we share our lives with, relinquishing control and seeking life as someone journeying with us, rather than outright solving all our problems. We can pray for miracles, but more importantly, we should pray that God understands our feelings—our fears, anxieties, and joys. By making God a part of our journey, we invite Him to be with us intimately through all that we experience.
This approach can alleviate some of the burdens of life. While it would be wonderful to pray for specific blessings or cures, that is not necessarily how our relationship with God is meant to work. Instead, we pray to invite God into our lives, sharing our troubles and celebrations as a constant reminder of His presence.
Think of it like sharing your struggles with a friend. When they understand what you’re going through, they can offer support, advice, and even advocacy for healing. Similarly, in prayer, we invite God to be an intentional part of our journey.
We see this in Acts 4, where the early Church began its work:
“And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:29-31)
Even amidst great trials, the disciples invited God to continue alongside them, fostering confidence in the Spirit to do God’s work. May we approach prayer as a relationship rather than a transaction.
AMEN!!!
Questions for Personal Reflections:
How does your approach to prayer reflect your relationship with God—do you see it more as a transaction or a journey of companionship?
In what areas of your life might you need to relinquish control to God, inviting Him to walk alongside you in both challenges and celebrations?
How might your prayers change if you focused more on sharing your true feelings with God rather than seeking specific outcomes?
Excellent! I really enjoyed this one. This is exactly what I do when I talk to my husband. Sometimes, I just need to get all of the thoughts out of my head. It helps to process everything and then let it go. That's likely how we should approach prayer.