Lunch For Three - Day 19

Nooma 019|Open
"Many of us have experienced situations where we've prayed and it felt like God wasn't listening. And yet other times we've prayed or known someone that prayed and the situation changed. Does God answer prayer? Sometimes, but not all the time? Or does God always answer prayer and it's just that sometimes God says no? Some of us are angry with God for not answering the prayers we've prayed for years. Why did he answer their prayer but not ours? What if there's more to prayer than just God listening and answering? Maybe if we understood how Jesus prayed, our concepts and expectations of prayer would change." NOOMAtube

Have you ever wondered why some prayers get answered while others do not? Was this group praying harder or better than the other group? If God is all powerful and can basically do whatever he wants, why hasn't he healed them yet? Prayer is an incredible yet confusing thing. This lack of understanding is something that is not unique to the human race. When Jesus Christ came down to the earth and lived among us, he too was filled with this doubt. While on the cross Jesus prayed twice to God. The first time he was basically pleading to the Father, "if there is any other way." He was praying to be saved, praying to be healed. Yet Jesus realized that God had other plans and in his second prayer He closes by saying, "Not my will, but yours be done." It's tough to get a grasp on God's plan that he has for the world. Through creation, God has left the world unfinished and has invited us to take part in the creation. As all parents know, when you create something you are taking a risk that what you create will not turn out the way that you have planned. How many people do you know that grew up in a Christian home and have at one point in their life taken a turn for the worst? I know a few. This is why we pray.

Prayer is basically the action of being open to the God who is at work here and now. Being open to the plan that God has put in place, not the plan that we wish to see to fruition. Sometimes His plan does not line up with our plan and it is painful. If you have experienced death or sorrow, do not be afraid to lift up these feelings to the Lord. It is said that most of the Psalms are filled with laments towards God. People shaking their fists at God, yelling at God. He can handle it. Life up your emotions. Prayer is an incredibly powerful tool. There is an idea that prayer taps into the same energy that was used to create the universe. How cool is that idea? Open your eyes to the power of prayer. "May your whole life be a prayer and may you be honest with God as you become more and more open to your role in the ongoing creation of the world" (Rob Bell).