Dear Luke,
Thank you for this model for
prayer—it is indeed beautiful! I wish I
could say that I felt like an expert on prayer—I instead feel like an amateur,
a role I have occupied since the day I began praying. Some days, I will confess, it does feel like
I’m talking to myself, and some days it feels as though God’s ear is at my lips
and every word that pours forth is heard directly by him. Prayer is a discipline, Luke—it reminds me
that I am utterly dependent on God, and I feel like it brings me closer to
him. Some of my prayers are love letters
to God, while others cry out for God’s intervention in my life and the lives of
others. Like you, I don’t always know
exactly what effect my prayer has on God, but Jesus told us to pray and trust,
so I do both, believing that my prayers are important.
As a matter of fact, just after
Jesus taught the disciples this model of prayer, he went on to encourage them
to be persistent in prayer, as though God enjoys hearing the disciples pray the
same thing over and over. He did this
through the means of a story, illustrating his case for persistence. He asked them to consider a situation where a
friend arrives at their house at midnight and they have nothing to set before
him, a situation that would certainly leave me embarrassed. Even though it was midnight, they would go to
a neighbor and ask to borrow some loaves of bread so they could extend
hospitality to their guest. Now, the
reality is that the neighbor would tell them that the house is settled down and
he cannot get up to give him bread, but eventually, if the asking persisted, he
would eventually wear down and get out of bed to give him the bread, although
it may not be because he was a good friend, but more likely to secure some
peace and quiet for his slumber!
In the same way, Jesus tells the
disciples to pray to God. They should
ask, because God will give to them. If
they search they will and if they knock God will open doors. Jesus is teaching the disciples to trust God
in their lives and in their prayers. He
goes on to illustrate in a strange way how great God’s love is. He asks them if they would give their child a
snake if the child asked for a fish, or a scorpion if the kid is seeking an
egg. He then tells the disciples that if
they are knowledgeable and good enough to be trusted to give the right things
to a child, how much greater will God give the gift of the Holy Spirit, a more
wondrous gift than we can imagine, to those who seek.
I don’t think we always understand
exactly how prayer works. I sometimes
want to imagine that God will simply give me exactly what I want. But I trust that God knows my needs and will
meet those, helping me grow in ways that even I might not understand now. As I look back over the years, I see how God
has worked in my life, how things have happened that I have not always
understood, and how those things have worked together for a good purpose. I wouldn’t have chosen the way my life has
unfolded, but I am glad to say that I am where I am now, and I trust that God
will lead me forward. I’ll continue to
pray, trusting that God hears my prayers and hoping that he answers them, but I
also trust that God’s answers will be the right ones, even if they aren’t what
I want.
I hope this helps, Luke. I’m not an expert on prayer. But I love God, and I trust him with my
life.
Sincerely,
Theophilus
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