Changing my Prayers

"My main purpose in prayer is to control the environment."

These words, written on a handout last Wednesday night in Bible class stopped me completely. In them I saw the reality of what I had been doing, and there was nowhere to hide from the glaring truth.

I really do love prayer! I am so thankful to get to talk to God and dwell with him during the day and evening. Somewhere along the road though, my prayers got too specific. Please God do this and this at this time for this person. Lord help so and so by doing this exact thing for them. God could you give this person this thing at this place so that they can feel this way.


I could go on. I won't however, because I am sure you get the idea. Though I sprinkled in some asking for God's will to be done. I was praying ALOT for specific things. I was doing in my prayer life what I do in my life in general. Plan, plan, and plan some more. It makes sense looking back at it, that this way of living was bound to spill over into my faith.

There is nothing wrong with asking God and being specific with him. But I do think there is some moderation needed. I was getting heavy on the details and weak in the trust. Trust that in the end it all works for good. Trust that sickness, death, unemployment, fertility issues, grief, anger, etc. do teach powerful life lessons. If we will stay faithful and watchful. Trust that just because I don't see it does not mean that there is nothing to see and nothing going on.

This summer I hope to make some changes to my prayer life. Mainly to take a hint from the summer season. Relax, slow down, and simplify. And in doing that allow myself to be pleasantly surprised by how good God is, in all situations, all of the time.