Hello everyone,
Thanks so much for stopping by my new blog. You may have read some of my blog covering my mission trip to South Africa over the past summer. Recently I decided to continue writing a few of my Beliefs, Ideas, and Thoughts (Bit’s) that come into my head throughout each week. My purpose in this blog is not for me to simply share my ideas on different issues with you but to hear your “bit’s” as well. I would love to hear your beliefs, ideas, and thoughts, so feel free to comment if you’d like! Anyways, today I thought I would write a little bit about prayer.
Prayer. It’s something that I wonder about often. I often wonder how effective prayer really is or what its true purpose is. I often get really confused when people talk about prayer as well. Let me give you a quick example. There was this lady who I worked with in Cape Town and she told me a short story. One time during the week, something she needed for our ministry broke and she was in a rush to get it replaced. She says she prayed to God that she would get a close parking spot to the store in order for her to make it in time. She ended up with one of the closest parking spots and made it just in time. She says that God provided that parking spot to her because she prayed for it. That’s great I guess. But then I got to thinking. What about all the people that pray for more serious things and don’t receive them? What about those kids dying of starvation in Africa who pray for food but still die the next day? Is it really true that God would be more willing to give this lady a parking spot rather than stopping a child in Ocean View from being abused? I’m not really sure on this one, but I really don’t believe He would, or does.
This may sound crazy but I do not think God gave that lady the parking spot. I don’t think prayer is about what God can do for us as much as it is about building our relationship with Him and becoming the type of person He wants each and every one of us to be. I was reading a devotion out of The Utmost for His Highest the other day and I feel that the famous Oswald Chambers summed up this idea really well.
Check it out:
“It is not so true that ‘prayer changes things’ as that prayer changes me and I change things.”
I think there is so much truth to this statement. I think when we pray, while it is not bad to pray for health, or others, or even parking spots; I think the purpose of prayer is more to develop our relationship with our Father more than it is for Him to change the world for us. I don’t think God chooses to work through physical miracles nearly as often as He chooses to work miracles within us, changing us and motivating us to change the physical world around us.
What do you think? When you pray for a parking spot is God giving you that spot and neglecting the starving child or am I missing something entirely here? Would love to hear your bit’s.
Also, I will be posting a new blog entry every Sunday on here, so I'll look forward to sharing with you next time!
Also, I will be posting a new blog entry every Sunday on here, so I'll look forward to sharing with you next time!
