The Best of What's Around

Got a break to write a little bit, while I'm on the way to ACL to see Dave. Just wanted to share a little bit that has been on my heart this week. After Bible study, then conversations with Rob and AP, then homegroup I've really had this conviction to search my heart for what prayer should be.

I'll start with a quote from John Piper, "You cannot know what prayer is for, until you know that life is war." Solid. Talking to AP, we both considered the analogy of a soldier on the battlefield who desires to be able to shoot his rifle more accurately. So this soldier approaches his commanding officer and says, "I want to shoot better, please give me this." Now, this scenario can be played out in 2 different ways. The soldier can go to bed and expect that he will awake the next day to this newly developed skill of being able to hit any target that he wishes. However, can we really expect this? I propose that this soldier would ask this, and then the commanding officer would take him out into the field and teach him, show him how to shoot his rifle. Then through practice and application, this soldier will have the skill of shooting his rifle. I like to think that praying to a God is not merely a "God, do this...God do that." Rather, when we ask of God, "Lord, give me patience," we may not wake the next day patient. God will walk us through times that will show us what patience looks like. We should not make God into a magician. We should instead know that He will, through training and disciplining, make us more like Him.

Service at the Village was great. The music was incredible, and the sermon just so happened to be on prayer. Hmmm...week of prayer, perhaps? Matt asked the question(hypothetically) "If God is sovereign, then why do we pray?" This is the same question that I've been asking myself for the past couple of months. He went through a ton of scripture and made some points, and the one that stuck out to me was that prayer doesn't change God's mind, but it does allow us to be involved in important eternal matters. James and I were talking about how it was much like sitting in on the counsel at Rivendell. Here, we still recognize God's appointed plan, which can even include us asking for Him to save us. If we honestly believe that our prayers are what decides what God has planned then we are more prideful than we think. God has even appointed you to ask Him for something. Crazy....I love my God so much.

Side note, I was reminded last night by my boy Rob that even in financial struggles God still loves me. This season could end, but I need to be ok if it doesn't. Jesus, come quick. We are groaning for you.