Give God a Break!

It's prayer time.

Morning thoughts and prayers are relayed to an Omnipotent God in Heaven. Sometimes (perhaps it should be all of the time) morning prayers set the tone for the rest of the day's experiences. No matter what may come your way, together with God you can handle it. The day then can be spent in a restful, peaceful mode because contact with the Divine has been made. We can be at peace with ourselves too!

Does too much prayer consist of:

"Thank you, God, for today's groceries, and here's my list for tomorrow?"

When we pray and ask God for things, requests, etc., is he totally unaware beforehand of all that we actually ask of him? Does he react sometimes with astonishment? Is he sometimes appalled by what we ask? Does he say to himself: "My, he certainly is not bashful or naive in asking for the moon, is he?" Does God know beforehand what we really need, but withholds it until we ask for it? Why does it seem that he gives certain things to some people, but to others the same things that are prayed for are withheld? Is God biased? Is he playing games with us and we don't know it?

Pretend that you and a small close-knit group of friends are in a Bible study in your home one day, and Jesus himself came to your gathering. You would probably be over-whelmed and awed by his presence, and you would most likely be in some kind of a state of shock. Your friend, Jesus, sits down at your table where you're studying scripture and joins your group. He speaks briefly, and then slowly, members of the group begin to ask him questions. What would be the questions that you would want to ask Jesus at this time? Surely you and your friends would have many!

The conversation develops into a lengthy discussion on a broad range of subjects, all of which are carefully explained by Jesus. The time passes quickly and it's been an enjoyable hour or two of study, but it's then that Jesus announces that he has to leave as there are other Bible-study groups that he plans to attend. So, now as he prepares to leave, do you or someone else in your group ask: "Before you leave, Jesus, could we have a word of prayer?" I wonder what Jesus would say. Would he say: "Of course! Let's fold our hands, and bow our heads, etc...?" Or would Jesus possibly say: "There's no need for a word of prayer because we've been praying all this time together in this Bible study. We've been in open conversation and dialogue; we've experienced what I've talked about in scripture: Ask, and you will Receive. You've been asking me questions, and you've been receiving my answers. That's what prayer is all about!"

Should prayer be defined as: Conversation with God as with a friend?

And if that is the case:

1. Who should do most of the talking?
2. Who should do most of the listening?

Doesn't God mean more to us than for him being just the Almighty person who grants prayer requests, and if more people are asking for the same thing, it will have greater impact on him? Does God reluctantly "give in" when we badger him and plead with him long enough and often enough until we get our way? And when we don't get our way, do we complain and accuse him of being partial to others, and that he fails to even answer our prayers slightly? Why does it seem as though the 'bad guys' get all the breaks, and the 'good guys' (us) are omitted, that we have little if any success of receiving that for which we pray? Sometimes it seems as though God is not even fair!

Does God sleep? Is he really a 24/7 52 week-per-year God? Doesn't he go on vacation once in a while? Could that be the reason why some prayers go unanswered for a long time, or are never answered at all? Perhaps we dialed in at a bad time! Is that possible? Perhaps we caught him in a bad mood! Perhaps he's just sick and tired of us not understanding what prayer is all about! Could God be thinking: "They'll never get it, will they? They really do have a problem down there on planet Earth, don't they?"

If God has all of this foreknowledge that is talked about so freely, why bother to pray and ask him for anything? Shouldn't he just go ahead and take the initiative, and give it to us before we ask? It seems like that would save everyone a whole lot of time and trouble!

Without a doubt, God is a good God and a fair God.

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Matt. 5:45

Depending how prayer is defined, will there still be a need for prayer in the new Heavens and new Earth? If we are able to speak face to face with God in the hereafter, will we still have the need for prayer requests, and for God to do something for us? If so, what might be the things that God will be asked to provide? Will we again be 'asking for the moon?' Will he have to politely say: "I'm very sorry! You have no idea what you're asking of me! Try to think of something more realistic, okay?"

Many evangelists, ministers, priests, etc., whether via television or in local church settings, urge their constituents, members of their congregations, and those people in attendance of evangelistic meetings to:

"Send in your prayer requests, let us know your needs, and we will contact God for you! We will pray to God for you and others who have needs!"

I've seen and listened to many popular "crusade preachers" on television where the speaker encourages those in attendance to "come forward and accept Christ." And for those watching via television, there's a telephone number at the bottom of the television screen that can be dialed "to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ!" And for the computer person connected to the internet, there's also a web page to connect you to the same organization. Of course, the visible phone number connects you to someone in that religious organization who is ready to advise you how to begin this relationship.

It makes me wonder: Instead of dialing that particular phone number, why not get in touch with God on a one-on-one basis, and talk to him personally? Eliminate the middle man! Go directly to the Source instead! His phone lines seldom have a busy signal, as God's switchboard can handle any amount of incoming traffic at any time!

It seems to me this "delegation of responsibility/opportunity" is just another form of the mediator, the intercessor, the "go-between," the "let-someone-else-do-it" attitude that was prevalent as far back as the time as Moses. Haven't we progressed any since then? Why do we delegate our own responsibility to someone else when we have the opportunity to talk to a friendly and wonderful God on our own?

People:

Talk to God yourselves! He's anxious to hear from you! Have your own conversation with God! Make the connection with God, and then maintain that connection yourself!

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