One last thing...
Lord, teach us to pray.
To which Jesus replied...
Remember your Father.
Keep in mind your many siblings.
It's all about my glory.
And your transformation (kingdom life).
One day at a time.
Love mercy. Hate sin.
Beware of the danger.*
It is in the context of this model for my prayers that Jesus goes on to tell a story that ends like this:
"Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find;
knock and it will be open to you..."
Sound familiar? He's not finished.
"What father among you if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent?
Or if he asks for an egg, will you give him a scorpion?"
i'm pretty certain this will reveal my own ignorance, but i have quoted both of those texts (loosely, i'm sure) dozens of times --- and have claimed them for myself --- totally out of the context of the first four verses of this chapter.
During the most difficult weeks of my mom's decline,
i was the daughter asking for a fish and an egg.
And there, on my plate, God served up a serpent and a scorpion.
At least that's how it seemed.
i was asking and asking.
Knocking and knocking.
i was the impudent friend pounding on the door.
And the door stayed tightly sealed.
At least that's how it seemed.
You know i know better, because i am confident in the character and nature of God. He gives only good gifts to His children. But i just don't get it. And it's left me...well, mildly bitter. Beyond grudging obedience, why do i pray? i'm telling you, i asked for a fish and it feels like i got a scorpion. (p.s. Can i just pause here and acknowledge my deep love for a God who will allow me to be petulant? i love that He is more concerned about my soul than about my manners.)
The first "lightbulb" that came on for me this week is that just because Jesus says a father who loves his children would not give them serpents and scorpions when they asked for fish and eggs doesn't mean he necessarily gave them fish and eggs, either. Isn't that a radical thought? It's a basic parenting principle --- a loving father will certainly not torture his children, but he also may not give them exactly what they ask for.
If my son asked for oreos for dinner.
I would not give him borscht
(which is a cold purple soup that my mother once tried to feed us).
But I would not give him oreos either.
i would have given him something nutritious. Like pizza. :-)
What you can be sure of in relationship to a loving father is that what He gives you will be good for you...and it will ultimately bring you great vitality & joy. Wow. That's significant. i may not have been given fish and eggs, but i can be confident that what MY FATHER gave me was not a scorpion. What He gave was what was best for me.
Which takes me back to those first four verses ... which begin with "Our FATHER"...
Here's my second "lightbulb".
In light of Luke 11,
i'm wondering if my disappointment and bitterness
are the overflow of my not "by-the-Book" prayers.
i'm not suggesting that godliness requires my strict and exclusive recitation of the words of Jesus from Luke 11:1-4. It does occur to me, however, that my desires, my hopes and plans and dreams for fish and eggs...these prayers, uttered within the framework of the Lord's prayer would be radically different than the helpless, frantic asking & knocking that have characterized my prayer life. Perhaps i would grow to anticipate His love and ultimate care as His plan unfolds and my plate is filled up with good things from His pantry.
i am pondering whether my prayer life, patterned after these God-breathed words, would change me........and isn't that, ultimately, the whole point?
One last thing. Perhaps the only unambiguous truth in this text is the closing promise from Jesus, verse 13. Without this promise, we are lost. Do yourself a favor and look it up......
Lord, teach us to pray.
Amen.
*my interpretation, a summary from my last post
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Peaches and prayer
i'm finishing up the last bite of a peach, warmed up with a bit of cinnamon in my cast iron skillet...my new favorite indulgence. For a variety of reasons, i have been in a "stay-away-from-fruit" season. But those days are over and this peach is AMAZING.
Have you read Luke 11? "Lord, teach us to pray...and He said to them...
When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation."
i know it's a stretch, but i'm feeling about this familiar prayer a bit like i do about the peach. It's certainly not new to me, but the words are so fresh that its as if the ink is still drying from Dr. Luke's pen. Every word is precious as it instructs my troubled soul. i hope you've taken the time to read it on your own. See what you think....
Father. While his example pales in comparison, i think about my own dad -- who for all of my growing up years provided for our family, disciplined and corrected us, protected us from harm and loved us without reserve. He was far from perfect, but not for lack of effort. My Heavenly Father? He is for me all that my dad would have wanted to be and He is so perfectly and fully. He is my protector. My provider. My instructor. My coach. My counselor. Do my prayers resonate with deep affection and trust in God my Father?
In his Gospel, Matthew adds the plural possessive pronoun "our". Our Father. Which seems significant because it reminds me that God is not only in the business of protecting, providing for and leading me and my interests. His responsibility is for our family. The Church. Collectively. To whatever degree my stuff is mingled in with yours, as my siblings, He must work all of that out. Like pieces of a great cosmic puzzle. It's actually not all about me. Do my prayers resonate with a concern for the cares of my faith family?
Hallowed be your name. This is all about the glory. i recently had a conversation with a wise friend who said to me "As i think about on my own walk with God, i realize that i began to grow up when i started asking the Lord to show me how to bring Him glory in my circumstances...rather than asking how i could escape from them". Wow. i'm thinking this is exactly what Jesus meant when He included this phrase in His "intro". All of my stuff, whatever it is, is about His glory. Do my prayers resonate with the priority of God's glory?
Your kingdom come. (And Matthew adds: Your will be done, which is pretty much the same thing.) Ultimately, this is the purpose of our lives --- that His "kingdom would come" in my life individually and in our lives corporately and, ultimately, in the world. What does it mean for His kingdom to come in my life? It's probably a subject for another blog, but in general it means He reigns on the Throne of my life. It means i serve at His pleasure and i am increasingly becoming like Him --- reflecting His love, honoring Him, pointing others to Him.* It means His Will Be Done. Ouch. Do my prayers resonate with a desire to see His Kingdom grow in my heart & mind?
Give us each day our daily bread. "Just for today, Lord. Just for today. i will look to you this day for what i need this day. i will not wish for yesterday's bread, which i may have wasted or forgot about and left to grow stale. i will not long for tomorrow's bread. Wondering if it will taste good. Or if it will be enough to sustain me. Today's bread. In the same way that you provided manna one day at a time so that the people would learn to depend on you, i will gather what you give me for today." Straight from the pages of my journal. Easier said than done. It is so hard to live in the moment and let that be enough. Do my prayers resonate with a resolute conviction to focus on this day?
Forgive. O to be tender to the Spirit so that i am the "chief repenter" in all of my relationships and as i walk with God. i am --- particularly in difficult seasons --- too easy on myself. As if my failure has a genesis outside my own self-serving soul. i am undisciplined because i am tired. i am snappy because i am under a lot of stress. i am dismissive because i have too much on my plate and i can't be bothered. Ugh. Forgive...yes, please. i am a sinner. Do my prayers resonate with my desperate need for mercy?
Lead us not into temptation. (And Matthew adds: And deliver us from evil...again, same but different.) It's so significant for me to take the time to think about what temptations threaten me during this season of heartache, or pain, or disappointment. How am i tempted to console myself? What am i tempted to think of others? What am i tempted to listen to, watch, or read? What am i tempted not to believe about God? Father, don't let me go there. Do my prayers resonate with a desperate commitment to flee temptation?
When you pray, say... when was the last time i prayed like this?? Teach me to pray. Indeed.
More tomorrow. That's enough to savor for today. Thank you, Jesus. Amen?
*ESV study notes on Matthew 6:10
Have you read Luke 11? "Lord, teach us to pray...and He said to them...
When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation."
i know it's a stretch, but i'm feeling about this familiar prayer a bit like i do about the peach. It's certainly not new to me, but the words are so fresh that its as if the ink is still drying from Dr. Luke's pen. Every word is precious as it instructs my troubled soul. i hope you've taken the time to read it on your own. See what you think....
Father. While his example pales in comparison, i think about my own dad -- who for all of my growing up years provided for our family, disciplined and corrected us, protected us from harm and loved us without reserve. He was far from perfect, but not for lack of effort. My Heavenly Father? He is for me all that my dad would have wanted to be and He is so perfectly and fully. He is my protector. My provider. My instructor. My coach. My counselor. Do my prayers resonate with deep affection and trust in God my Father?
In his Gospel, Matthew adds the plural possessive pronoun "our". Our Father. Which seems significant because it reminds me that God is not only in the business of protecting, providing for and leading me and my interests. His responsibility is for our family. The Church. Collectively. To whatever degree my stuff is mingled in with yours, as my siblings, He must work all of that out. Like pieces of a great cosmic puzzle. It's actually not all about me. Do my prayers resonate with a concern for the cares of my faith family?
Hallowed be your name. This is all about the glory. i recently had a conversation with a wise friend who said to me "As i think about on my own walk with God, i realize that i began to grow up when i started asking the Lord to show me how to bring Him glory in my circumstances...rather than asking how i could escape from them". Wow. i'm thinking this is exactly what Jesus meant when He included this phrase in His "intro". All of my stuff, whatever it is, is about His glory. Do my prayers resonate with the priority of God's glory?
Your kingdom come. (And Matthew adds: Your will be done, which is pretty much the same thing.) Ultimately, this is the purpose of our lives --- that His "kingdom would come" in my life individually and in our lives corporately and, ultimately, in the world. What does it mean for His kingdom to come in my life? It's probably a subject for another blog, but in general it means He reigns on the Throne of my life. It means i serve at His pleasure and i am increasingly becoming like Him --- reflecting His love, honoring Him, pointing others to Him.* It means His Will Be Done. Ouch. Do my prayers resonate with a desire to see His Kingdom grow in my heart & mind?
Give us each day our daily bread. "Just for today, Lord. Just for today. i will look to you this day for what i need this day. i will not wish for yesterday's bread, which i may have wasted or forgot about and left to grow stale. i will not long for tomorrow's bread. Wondering if it will taste good. Or if it will be enough to sustain me. Today's bread. In the same way that you provided manna one day at a time so that the people would learn to depend on you, i will gather what you give me for today." Straight from the pages of my journal. Easier said than done. It is so hard to live in the moment and let that be enough. Do my prayers resonate with a resolute conviction to focus on this day?
Forgive. O to be tender to the Spirit so that i am the "chief repenter" in all of my relationships and as i walk with God. i am --- particularly in difficult seasons --- too easy on myself. As if my failure has a genesis outside my own self-serving soul. i am undisciplined because i am tired. i am snappy because i am under a lot of stress. i am dismissive because i have too much on my plate and i can't be bothered. Ugh. Forgive...yes, please. i am a sinner. Do my prayers resonate with my desperate need for mercy?
Lead us not into temptation. (And Matthew adds: And deliver us from evil...again, same but different.) It's so significant for me to take the time to think about what temptations threaten me during this season of heartache, or pain, or disappointment. How am i tempted to console myself? What am i tempted to think of others? What am i tempted to listen to, watch, or read? What am i tempted not to believe about God? Father, don't let me go there. Do my prayers resonate with a desperate commitment to flee temptation?
When you pray, say... when was the last time i prayed like this?? Teach me to pray. Indeed.
More tomorrow. That's enough to savor for today. Thank you, Jesus. Amen?
*ESV study notes on Matthew 6:10
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Teach Me To Pray. Yes please.
My prayer life has been mildly disabled since the death of my mom earlier this year. People are still asking me, "How are you adjusting"? Typically, i respond with some transparency about the still obvious and painful gaps, the sorrow of my new orphan identity, the need to regularly reorient my thinking ("i need to show this picture to mom!...")
What i have not said is "i don't know how to pray anymore".
Seems like a conversation-stopper.
It's such a simple spiritual exercise, and i know I should know better. But i lost my bearings after weeks and weeks of begging the Lord to spare my mom from the very things that He, in fact, did not spare her from.
Don't misunderstand me. Mom's journey with her illness was so much less painful and heartbreaking than we expected. As a family we were profoundly grateful for dozens of months and a myriad of memories that we enjoyed, far beyond her doctor's original diagnosis.
But those last two months were hard.
i've been reminded that we American Christians don't like hard...and we are wired to have our way. But this dilemma of mine has not been about hardship. Or about God's willingness to meet my demands. i fully accept --- and am grateful for --- His sovereignty. i believe wholeheartedly in His love for my Mom and for our family. i know that as we suffered, He suffered with us.
My challenge is: What does godly prayer look like? In light of my theology, how am i to pray...in the midst of crisis, heartache, fear, disappointment...how am i to pray with faith for God's glory? How am i to pray when i am deeply committed to God's sovereignty and His plan? How do i pray when i know God will do what God will do??
Don't get excited. i don't have all the answers...and what i do have, i'm SURE is not new. But this week, God has given me a foothold for Truth that is marinating in my mind and feeding my weak faith.
i've been reading through Luke (slowly, i know) and this week i came to the familiar passages in chapter 11. This text begins with the disciples saying:
"Lord, teach us to pray".
Just those five words made me want to weep! What follows their question is a two-fold response from Jesus that has, literally, breathed life into my worn out soul. These are words that i repeat week after week in worship, and today it is as if i have heard them for the first time. Phew.
i'm so anxious that these words, the words of Jesus, resonate with readers that i will wait to write more until tomorrow...in the meantime, and before reading the next post, i want to encourage you to read them for yourself. Pick up the Scripture and read Luke 11:1-13. If this is your struggle, let the words of the Savior seep into your heart and mind.
How have we missed this???
What i have not said is "i don't know how to pray anymore".
Seems like a conversation-stopper.
It's such a simple spiritual exercise, and i know I should know better. But i lost my bearings after weeks and weeks of begging the Lord to spare my mom from the very things that He, in fact, did not spare her from.
Don't misunderstand me. Mom's journey with her illness was so much less painful and heartbreaking than we expected. As a family we were profoundly grateful for dozens of months and a myriad of memories that we enjoyed, far beyond her doctor's original diagnosis.
But those last two months were hard.
i've been reminded that we American Christians don't like hard...and we are wired to have our way. But this dilemma of mine has not been about hardship. Or about God's willingness to meet my demands. i fully accept --- and am grateful for --- His sovereignty. i believe wholeheartedly in His love for my Mom and for our family. i know that as we suffered, He suffered with us.
My challenge is: What does godly prayer look like? In light of my theology, how am i to pray...in the midst of crisis, heartache, fear, disappointment...how am i to pray with faith for God's glory? How am i to pray when i am deeply committed to God's sovereignty and His plan? How do i pray when i know God will do what God will do??
Don't get excited. i don't have all the answers...and what i do have, i'm SURE is not new. But this week, God has given me a foothold for Truth that is marinating in my mind and feeding my weak faith.
i've been reading through Luke (slowly, i know) and this week i came to the familiar passages in chapter 11. This text begins with the disciples saying:
"Lord, teach us to pray".
Just those five words made me want to weep! What follows their question is a two-fold response from Jesus that has, literally, breathed life into my worn out soul. These are words that i repeat week after week in worship, and today it is as if i have heard them for the first time. Phew.
i'm so anxious that these words, the words of Jesus, resonate with readers that i will wait to write more until tomorrow...in the meantime, and before reading the next post, i want to encourage you to read them for yourself. Pick up the Scripture and read Luke 11:1-13. If this is your struggle, let the words of the Savior seep into your heart and mind.
How have we missed this???
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