Prayer-- it's all about Me.
It seems as though pain and suffering in ourselves
would teach us a little about pain and suffering in others.
Too often it doesn’t.
It would seem as though having a loved one face a potential life threatening illness would soften our hearts to others who are facing a life threatening illness.
Too often it doesn’t.
It would seem that knowing the fear pain, confusion, hurt and loss that is associated with a loved one’s suffering would move us in a manner that we would never want to see another human suffer.
Losing my father to cancer several years ago opened my eyes not just to cancer but end of life issues for many people. It would be rather hypocritical to beg God to heal and cure my father while I lived a life that perpetuated violence and hatred toward others.
I may not be violent, but I surely am not following Jesus when it come to loving my enemies.
How could I justify my pleading to God for healing and mercy while my lifestyle advocated the hurt and or killing of other human beings for any reason.
Something seems wrong with "Dear God, please heal my dad." While my hand punches the ballot that sends kids off to a foreign land to kill and maim the "enemy" and to be killed and maimed by the "enemy." Does God only hear my prayers? I mean, does God hear my prayers for healing of a loved one while ignoring those who live opposite of my views? If God hears my prayers knowing my potential for evil, what would possess me to think that somehow God wouldn’t hear the prayer of those who differ from me? That is about the same mentality as, "Please God help my team win" while hoping the opponent’s quarterback breaks his leg.
It I am going to pray for a loved one, it would seem that God would expect me to pray with at least the same intensity for the healing of others. Too often I don’t. I wonder how that impacts God? Seriously, wonder what God must think? "Dude, I know you love your dad, but how 'bout passing on some prayers for those you can't stand."
Perhaps that is a mark of my spiritual maturity? Praying with the same intensity for those I dislike as those I love. Passionatley praying for those who I think are my enemies the same way Jesus instructed. If so, I am not all that mature.
I need to repent. I mean if I am going to use the word and talk about repenting I ought to at least repent and turn toward the Love and believe the Good News. That is, that God is close to us all. Even those I don't like.
But while I am begging God to heal those I know and love there are those with whom I differ who are begging God to heal those they love. Tonight as we pray for a friend to be healed from cancer there is a mother begging God to return her son or daughter home safely from a war or a mother begging God to help end the war or some woman begging God to end the violence in her home.
If I am going to pray, then my prayer life ought to transform my world view and the way I live. My prayer life ought to not be only for my healing but the healing of the planet. Because, prayer really isn't all about me.
Lord in you mercy hear OUR prayer(s).
3 Comments:
I drive myself to prayer quite a bit. I pray for the guy who cuts me off in traffic, for anonymous faces that I glimpse as I go by, for those with whom I have longer encounters, and i do my best to pray for the world.
God did say He'd take up the slack that our prayers cannot contain despite our best efforts:
Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
God said pray. He'll fix our reasons.
I'll read this again when I have more time but just wanted to say that I don't understand some aspects of prayer - like you said when opposing teams pray for the same thing. I don't pray for my enemies enough, but when I do, they often cease to enemies because praying for them gives me compassion.
I love your though provoking posts and your honesty.
Sometimes I just curl up in a ball with all my questions, like some you posed here, and cry to God and say "I don't get it, but I trust you".
Seldom do I pray with words now. They just seem completely unnecessary. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I do pray, by being aware of the drama and needs of the world, and simply trying to be empty before God, so he might shine.
I also rememmber the first time I visited a Buddhist temple. I was astonished at the prayers the monks made. It moved in ever-expanding circles:
May I be happy, and have all the causes of happiness,
may I be free from suffering and all the causes of suffering,
May I live in equanimity, with neither attachment nor aversion.
May I live in loving-kindness toward all.
It was repeated eight times, each time more inclusively, something like this: May my friends... my family... all people... all angels... all demons... all beings...
I was blown away. These folks even prayed for, and believed in, the redemption of the devils. Now THAT was faith, and love I had never seen in a church.
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