Monday, February 24, 2020
693 - What I Really Really Want
Spirituality Column #693
February 25, 2020
Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary
What I Really Really Want
By Bob Walters
“Lord fill me with truth and peace, courage and strength,
wisdom and compassion.” – part of my own “pray without ceasing” routine.
I heard a radio preacher last week coach his listeners, “If
you want God to give you specific results, you have to pray for specific
things.”
And I thought, well, there’s my next column.
We all love to pray for stuff, for good things, for healing
and comfort, for relief from turmoil, and for the healing of pain and suffering
for ourselves and others. God and Jesus
throughout the Bible invite us constantly to pray with sincere hearts for
whatever is on our hearts with the promise that those prayers with Godly
foundation in the Holy Spirit will be heard immediately and answered in God’s
own timing.
I do it, you do it, we all do it all the time. When we ask others for prayers, or they ask
us, or we pray for someone … we address the needs at hand. God is listening.
And yet … my reaction to the radio preacher talking about
“praying for specific things” was realizing that in my deepest and most private
and truly ongoing prayer time – my “doing life with Jesus” prayers – I almost
never am asking God for results; I am praying for and about my relationship
with Him. With praise, thanks, and awe,
I pray through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit for mercy, light, and truth.
I am praying usually something along the order of having eyes
to see and ears to hear, or for the fruits of the Spirit – e.g. “love,
joy, peace, patience forbearance, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”
(Galatians 5:22-23). I see God’s wonders in my life, but I don’t keep a
scorecard with God just like I don’t keep one with my wife, children, or anyone
really. Joy is in relationship, not the
exchange rate.
Here’s my prayer outline reminding me who God is, who I am,
and whose I am:
- Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
have mercy on me a sinner. (Jesus prayer)
- Praise be to the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with
every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)
- Father God thank you for the
love of my children, the grace of our being, and the beauty of this world. Fill me with truth and peace, courage and
strength, wisdom and compassion. (my own words)
- Lord bless me, and expand my
territory. Let your hand be with me, and
keep me from harm so that I will feel no pain. (1 Chronicles 4:10, Prayer of
Jabez)
- Create in me a pure heart, O
God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence, or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and
grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. (Psalm 51:10-12)
Sometimes I tack on the traditional Lord’s Prayer, other
times I don’t get that far and focus on a specific praise, problem, person, or confession. I don’t pray to impress God or get stuff; I
pray to express the faith, hope, and love He already freely shares.
No, I truly do not believe Jesus died so I/we could ask Him
for stuff; Jesus died so we would be assured forever of a loving, righteous
relationship with Almighty God.
Results are nice, but I pray for relationship. That’s what I really really want.
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com)
has cobbled together that prayer template over many years; it’s like a tape
running in his head. It saves time and
is a ready “hello” to God.