Make Them Life-Changing
Tom was frustrated with our prayer time because it seemed nothing ever changed. Maybe that’s because we weren’t praying for the right change. I’ve noticed that the vast majority of our prayers are for God to change our circumstances. Maybe God doesn’t want to change our circumstances. Maybe he wants to change us.
That doesn’t mean he won’t ever change our circumstances. I have seen God supply needs, open up opportunities, and heal people in incredible ways. But I’ve also spent years praying for something to change that never does. That should be my first clue that I may not be praying for the right thing.
Looking at our three people again may give us a clue as to how to think about this. If Sally has been praying for God to heal her arthritis for years, and he hasn’t done it, she should probably focus on how he wants to use it in her life. Maybe God wants her to start a support group for other arthritis sufferers. Or possibly, he wants her to express more compassion for others who are suffering by praying for them or sending money to a research organization that is looking for a cure. Perhaps he just wants to get her attention—and as C.S. Lewis said, pain is his megaphone.
Mark needs to pray for his children the way Paul prayed for the Ephesians—that God would give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they may know him better. He needs to pray that his children would know the hope to which God has called them, their glorious inheritance, and God’s incomparably great power. Mark needs to pray these things for himself, too, so that he will be able to model such a walk with God for his children.
Bonnie should honestly express to God her frustrations with her job. If she has a possibility of changing jobs, she needs to pray for God’s confirmation and wisdom about doing so. She needs to get the advice of other godly people to see their perspectives. If she has done all that and feels that God wants her to stay in her job, she needs to ask him what he wants to accomplish in and through her. Bonnie should ask God to change her perspective and give her joy. After all, if Paul could find joy while sitting in a prison cell, Bonnie can probably find joy in her job if she lets God open her eyes to it.
Our small group prayers changed after Tom complained. We realized that we were treating prayer as a complaint session, when in reality it is an incredible opportunity to gain the wisdom, direction, and power of the King of kings who rules all time and places.
JoHannah Reardon is an associate editor with ChristianBibleStudies.com.
