What We Pray For

If we believe the Gospels, so much of what we pray for has been already given to us; still we continue to pray for God’s promised love and forgiveness. Why do we do that? Do we not trust the record that God has left for us? Here are a few examples of his promises to us:

1. Matthew 6:25: “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?”
2. John 14:1-2: “Do not let your hearts be troubled… .My father’s house has many rooms.” And all of John 14-17.
3. Luke 15:11-31 There is an echo of a place for you in your father’s house in the Parable of the Prodigal or Lost Son. There is no question here of forgiveness or love for the son no matter what he has done. There is only embrace and celebration for his return.
4. John 14:16: “I will ask the father and he will give you another advo-                         cate to help you and to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.”
5. John 15:9: “As my father has loved me, so I have loved you.”
6. John 15:6 “I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.”

So taking these promises as true for each of us, and really believing them, would mean that we would live at peace, in patience, in love and joy, in goodness, gentleness and kindness, in faithfulness and self-control—all the fruit of the Spirit. It would mean that no matter whether we’re on Step One of the Journey with Christ which is our surrender to God or we are in the home stretch toward fulfilling our purpose in our lives, we are praying for just one thing: that I totally believe in your promises for me and for everyone else, Lord. Make them alive in me. May I take in to my heart, soul, mind and strength what you’ve already promised me. May I live in total trust. May I fulfill the promise of my creation. May I love you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.[Mark 12:28-31]

Here is what Rev. Steve Garnaas-Holmes at unfoldinglight.net wrote today(10.27.15):

Beloved,
I give you my heart:
my willingness, my passions, my desires.
Make them into love for you.

I give you my soul:
my mystery, my self, my divine presence.
Make them into love for you.

I give you my mind:
my thoughts, my wisdom, my beliefs.
Make them into love for you.

I give you my strength:
my gifts, my ability, my being.
Make them into love for you.

Beloved,
may all that I do,
all that I care or think about,
all that I am,
be love for you.
Amen.

This is a prayer that puts us in the grasp of the Two Great Commandments, that turns our whole selves over to the Lord. If we pray this prayer or one like it with intention, a focused, whole-person kind of prayer, we are moving from belief to faith, from faith to trust, from trust to peace and, in everything we do, to love.

Of course we pray for ourselves and others. That is a gift of love that has real meaning. But we are careful to pray not that our will be done, but that God bless their lives with the best and highest for them. We pray for healing, knowing that we mean more than physical healing. We pray for comfort for those in grief. We pray that another might feel God’s presence. And more.

And we pray written prayers like the Lord’s Prayer or the Welcome Prayer. We meditate or do centering prayer, so that we can better hear God’s indwelling Spirit, that “still, small voice” of 1 Kings 19:12. We ask in any Bible study, “what is God saying directly to me today in this passage?” Through these meditations and prayers we learn how to commune with God so that we can hear the Lord’s voice throughout our days, so that we have a deep personal relationship with the Lord. And so that we depend on that personal relationship more than beliefs.

So, let’s pray that we trust absolutely in what God promises. Let’s pray that we live out our beliefs in faith, love, joy, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control, knowing that we cannot provide these wonderful qualities to ourselves, but can only acquire them through surrendering our whole selves to the Lord’s transforming and Holy Spirit. When we live the Two Great Commandments, when we have turned our whole selves over to God in love, when we love our neighbors as we love ourselves and as God loves us all, then we truly live in God’s kingdom. Then everything we do and say in done in love. Amen.

___________

Questions to ponder over the week: Do I trust God to deliver on his promises to us? Do I live in that total trust? How do I remind myself about totally trusting God when I move into anxiety or fear? What is my experience of God keeping his promises?

Blessing for the week: May we be the people of God who really trust in his promises to us. May we live in trust and peace. May we feel his love and forgiveness in our whole self.

My book, Thy Kingdom Come! is up on Amazon in both a paperback and a digital version. Look for it under my full name, Patricia Said Adams, or Patricia Adams. There are three parts to the book: I)Jesus’ descriptions of the kingdom of God, II)his teachings about how we get into the kingdom and III)implications for us in all that he taught. Check it out if you’re interested!

There are three videos now on my FB page, “What Jesus said about the kingdom,” “The kingdom is about loving God” and “The kingdom is about purpose.” They are an introduction to the book.

Read the whole blog at bythewaters.net or await Monday’s thru Friday’s offerings on FB. I’m on YouTube at By the Waters with Pat Adams and on Twitter at BTWwithPatAdams.