Prayer - Why?
Its interesting… over the last month I have continued to think of the same two things as last month – how do I live with both thankfulness and thoughtfulness. And that has led me to thinking a bit this month about prayer. And so here is some of what I am mulling over in my head these days as I pray, drive, walk, etc.:
I have so much to be thankful for and you have all heard me give thanks to God at dinner time or other times, at events and so forth. What I don’t think I believe – generally – is that that meal I am giving thanks for has been directly given or provided to me by God at that moment – I can connect that meal to work, remuneration, preparation, etc.. I don’t believe its as simple as by some providential blessing I have been chosen and a friend in a developing country has not…. And so I have an abundant amount of food (for I know many of my friends in different parts of the world have less, life is more difficult and challenging for them and yet they have hearts deeply in love with God and other people). That would seem to make God both pernickety and malicious. When I pray and give thanks I am trying to recognize and be grateful for what I have and receive - believing that all of life is a gift from a bountiful God who loves me (exemplified by the life of Jesus). And this bountiful God is present and active regardless of any particular circumstance in my life.
So why then do I pray and why do I give thanks. And for that I have three reasons:
I believe God likes to be asked! I really believe that our desires matter to him. SO in that vein I pray for each of you each day – that you would have deep joy, fulfillment, compassion for others and for your future companions.
All of us like to be asked. I love it when you guys ask for help, my opinion, advice on budgeting, etc. You like to be asked stuff. I am pretty confident God does too. As an aside the act of asking is a humbling one. It indicates we are not an island and that we need other people in our lives – people who love us. It takes work to ask and it forms character.I think prayer shows a recognition that all I have (stuff, people, education, birth location on a map) that which is most important to me is not simply the result of my hard work. I have had advantages that many people don’t. Grandma and Grandpa, Tonya, education, skin colour, the country I was born into, each of you in my life, the places I have worked, the option to travel and life with relatively few health issues, etc. And so I am blessed. In part for how I have stewarded these things and in part because I am simply blessed, and I can’t explain why me. And prayer reminds me that I can’t live life on my own – I am not an island. I am dependent on so many things and I believe at the centre of it all is a infinite, unimaginably loving God.
I believe God works through primary means and secondary means. Primary – He alters the rules of nature. We call this a miracle. I think these happen, I believe I have seen them. I give thanks! Mostly though I think he works through secondary means. And prayer reminds me that I may be the answer to someone elses prayers by what I do or say. So how can I live in a way that blesses those around me. It just helps me be kind.
So there is some of what I am pondering these days. There is actually a bit more… or a lot more… but that I will save for next month. It involves physics and multiple dimensions, cylinders and flatlanders. 😊
