Another thing to remember about prayer is that it (prayer) is the catalyst for moving God. It is not that we force God’s hand, but it is that God does not move until we ask. Max Lucado writes in He Still Moves Stones, “Healing begins when we do something. Healing begins when we reach out. Healing starts when we take a step. God’s help is near and always available, but it is only given to those who ask for it. Nothing results from apathy. God honors radical, risk-taking faith. When arks are built, lives are saved. When soldiers march, walls tumble. When staffs are raised, seas still part. When a lunch is shared, thousands are fed. And when a garment is touched—whether by the anemic woman in Galilee or by the prayers of a beggar in Bangladesh—Jesus stops. He stops and responds.” God responds when we pray, but never until we pray. Perhaps it’s not the response we had prayed for…often God answers my prayers in ways that I had never asked or imagined. Often times I am disappointed…for a brief moment…then I once again see God’s plan. Only God has the wisdom to know what is best for us…only we can cause God to act by praying.
2 comments:
Not only does God act - but WE have to act too. In some of the small groups I've attended I've heard people say that something will work in 'God's time'. While that's true, I believe we also have to act. God uses OUR hands to do the work He has for us. We can't just sit on the sidelines and watch and wait for things to take place. We have to 'get out of the boat'.
How true...see my comments posted today. I will go further and say that our inactivity can keep God's will from being done. It is not only a privilege to pray, it is also our responsibility!
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