Why is it that our prayer meetings and requests often sound like something from a medical convention? We get together and everyone knows someone who is sick with a strange disease. And so, we pray. It only seems natural that we ask God and thank God for the things that are meaningful to us.
However, prayer is also a window to our priorities. If we look through that window and examine our prayers, we see that health and safety are a very high priority to us. The more we pray about one thing, the higher a priority it is to us. I do believe persistent and continual prayer is a good thing but we must never let it be about us.
After going through some extended sickness last year, I realized I am not entitled to my health. Somewhere along the way, we all get swept up in our antiseptic culture, and without even realizing it, we soon believe we deserve a long and healthy life. Then, God is in the wrong when He takes that away from someone. We lose sight of "your will be done on earth" and humanly think "my will be done on earth." We see it backwards and go to God only when we need something from Him; as if He works on our terms.
Plain and simple, our prayer should not be prioritized by requests for health and safety when it means sacrificing prayers for the advancement of God's kingdom.
My friend Tim says it is a dangerous prayer to ask God to "use me today." We're scared of how God might use us because, deep down we know He will pull us out of our comfort zone. It is so much easier to promise God the near future. "God, I'll give you ALL my time and efforts as soon as I get through this busy season." It is different when it is immediate. "God, use me today." Then, there is no place for us to hide.
Often, my prayer time is cut short because of my schedule. So many things to do, so little time. I need to ask myself, "Is my schedule cutting into my prayer time or is my prayer time cutting into my schedule?" It is all about priorities. Your schedule or your time with God?
Sometimes the easiest way to prioritize is when you are facing life-or-death situations.
John Piper says this, "Life is war. That’s not all it is. But it is always that. Our weakness in prayer is owing largely to our neglect of this truth. Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie for the mission of the Church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den. God has given us prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie so that we can call headquarters for everything we need as the kingdom of Christ advances in the world."*
*Let the Nations be Glad
Listen to an audio sermon about prayer meetings here
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