Prayer (4)

[kayte]

Chapter Four

Another aspect of knowing God in prayer is that we become able to work along side Him.

When my daughter was small I began giving her jobs in the kitchen as I prepared meals. At four years old she worked along side me, stirring, sprinkling cheese on top or setting the table. At six she knew which side to put the forks on and could grate the cheese herself. Her knack for stirring had become a wonder to behold.
Regularly she was thanked and praised for the meals ‘she’ prepared.

At times when we pray we are apt to feel that we are making great accomplishments. We feel in control of things, we receive a few pats on the back and many thank-yous when we pray.

Yet if we’re honest we know there’s a more capable ‘cook’ in the kitchen and all we’ve been doing is stirring and setting tables.

God allows us ‘in the kitchen’ as a loving Father that desires we spend time with Him, learning of Him, from Him and about Him.

Genesis 18:17-19 reads:
And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I
am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great
and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth
shall be blessed by him?
For I have known him, in order that he may command
his children and his household after him, that they
keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and
justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what
He has spoken to him.”

God wanted to tell Abraham what business He was about. He has a plan for Abraham’s life and for Abraham to know God and His ways was vital to that plan. Just as we seek to live in His ways, it is vital for us to know His ways. To be like Him we have to know what He is like.

The Lord tells Abraham that He is going to Sodom and Gomorrah because the outcry against them is great and their sin is very grievous. In verse 22 it says: “Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.”

The others continued on but the Lord stood with Abraham and waited for him to speak. Why?

Because it was imperative that Abraham know God. That he see the Lord’s heart. That he comprehend the Lord’s mercy and justice.

And because the Lord was letting Abraham be a part of His work. He was handing Abraham a spoon and saying ‘stir’ this. The Lord made Himself approachable, He revealed His plan and Abraham prayed.

Genesis 18:23-33
And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also
destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there
were fifty righteous within the city; would You also
destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty
righteous that were in it?
Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay
the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous
should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall
not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
And the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous
within the city, then I will spare all the place for
their sakes.”
Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am
but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak
to the Lord: “Suppose there were five less than the
fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for
lack of five?” And He said, “If I find there forty-
five, I will not destroy it.”
Then he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose
there should be forty found there?” And He said, “I
will not do it for the sake of forty.”
And he said, “Let not the Lord be angry and I will
speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?” And He
said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
Then he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself
to speak to the Lord; Suppose twenty should be found
there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it for the
sake of twenty.”
And he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will
speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found
there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it for the
sake of ten.”
So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished
speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his
place.

Abraham has made a false assumption about God. His emotion has flared up and caused him to wonder if what God is planning is truly a ‘Godly’ thing to do. Did Abraham momentarily see his own sense of justice as greater than God’s?

Lest we be too harsh with Abraham… haven’t we all done the same? Haven’t we all questioned the Lord’s justice and ‘rightness’ when we see hard things in life?

But after Abraham has prayed and seen God’s heart, he is able to return home, knowing that God is merciful and kind. Knowing that He is just. Knowing that he could approach Him and not be afraid.

This wasn’t a matter of Abraham twisting God’s arm. The Lord in His mercy wouldn’t have destroyed the righteous with the wicked whether Abraham had asked or not. It was fully a matter of God helping Abraham to know Him by letting him take part in His plan.

Genesis 19:27-28
And Abraham went early in the morning to the place
where he had stood before the Lord. Then he looked
toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of
the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the
land which went up like the smoke of a furnace.

So many today read this story and declare God cruel and unreasonable. It is a story that speaks of the justice of God. Many can’t tie this God of justice together with the God of love. Yet Abraham had no such trouble. Abraham loved God, spoke with God, worked with God.

When Abraham stood that morning, looking out over the plain and seeing the smoke, his heart was already settled. He knew God had done rightly. How did he know? Because he had seen the heart of the Lord… he had spent time in His presence… he had searched His ways and knew His compassion. Abraham didn’t shrink back from the Lord here, he grew towards Him. Because he knew Him intimately, he walked with God all of his days.


Matthew 9:36-38
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with
compassion for them, because they were weary and
scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He
said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is
plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray
the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His
harvest.”

The disciples obeyed. Moved by their Lord’s compassion, they prayed. They knew Him and saw what He saw. A people weary and scattered. A people that needed to know Him too. They prayed that the Lord of the harvest would send out laborers.

In Matthew 28:18-20 their prayer is answered.
Then Jesus came and spoke to them saying, “All
authority has been given to Me in heaven and on
earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe
all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am
with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

As they prayed, God worked in their hearts. He filled them with His love and compassion. He prepared them and taught them His ways as they spent time with Him. And He used them to work along side.

They didn’t go out teaching others about Jesus simply because it was the ‘work’ they were given. They went out with hearts filled by God’s love. Overflowing with compassion.

Why pray? To be changed. To see and know the heart of our Father. To be made able to work along side Him.
#
Heavenly Father, we seek Your face. Teach us Your compassion and fill us with Your love. Lord, show us where we have false assumptions about You, and then show us the truth. Change us and use us according to Your plan. Lead us in the way everlasting.
In Jesus name we come to You
Amen
#
Study Questions

1) When you pray, do you expect your heart and life to be changed? Have you experienced this?

2) Are there things in your heart or mind that you suspect are false assumptions about God? Are you hanging onto them or have you gone to the Lord with them?

3) Are you seeing that it is God that desires a relationship with you and that the desire you have to know Him is placed there by Him? What does that tell you about God?

4) Can you think of instances in your own life that the Lord has ‘brought you into the kitchen and let you stir things’? What did you learn or are learning?

5) Are you working for God or with God?

6) If you don’t see any work involving God in your life right now, why not?


copyright 2002 tkc

[Stacey Blue]

Kayte, I have some things to share in this thread. I'll post them later.

Great questions.

[Stacey Blue]

1) When you pray, do you expect your heart and life to be changed? Have you experienced this? I do expect my heart and life to be changed, although many times I feel so faithless when the change happens because it's so MUCH MORE than what I was expecting.

One example - and I apologize in advance for the length of the posting - started back in September of 1995. Michael and I had been married for three years at that time and decided to start having children. Our prayers started focusing on "God, please give us a child." - but about 2 or 3 weeks later something happened that changed everything. At 2 o'clock in the morning, I awoke from a sound sleep and sat straight up. I heard a voice say, "Stacey, pray that you want to have a child only if it's name is written in the Book of Life." This was the first time I had experienced God speaking to me like this (and the last); the voice was inaudible, but I understood every word. I immediately prayed the prayer. Peace, sweet peace, came over me. I lay awake for a long time, conversing with God and pondering this prayer.

Because two of my friends had multiples miscarriages interspersed with long periods of infertility, I knew that having children in marriage was not a given. Prior to my friendship with them, I had not known anyone that had childbearing problems. I quickly put two-and-two together (or so I thought) and decided that God was trying to tell me that I would not be a biological parent.

Michael was not freaked out by my nighttime experience with God, and he began to pray the same prayer. He quickly put two-and-two together and decided that of course God would give us children who knew Him and loved Him.

Who can know the mind of God? Yeah, we didn't.

Within the next five years, "everyone" that we knew had their first kid, if not their second and third. We kept right on praying our prayer. Michael was angry. Why did everyone else get kids and not us?!? What was wrong with us? We both loved God. I was sad sometimes and resigned other times, sometimes a martyr. God chose us for something special that did not involve parenthood. I had to not hope to have children or it would hurt too much. We continued to pray the prayer even though both of us really didn't believe any more that it would happen.

We started saving money for a foreign adoption after three years. All of the people who said, "Oh, you'll have kids after you start thinking about adoption" were proven wrong. We still prayed the prayer, although we began to pray for the woman who would be the biological mother of our adopted child.

After five years we were a few thousand dollars short of our goal when we decided to sell our home for the equity in it to reach our goal. We had attended an adoption seminar a few years earlier, but I went to another one to get a refresher course on the process. We were so excited. We put our home on the market and began to plan. We decided for sure that we wanted a little girl. It broke our heart that we couldn't adopt two children at the same time, but we were stretching everything we had financially to make this happen.

It took about 6 months for the house to close. On the day of the move I was so excited, yet I was sick because we were selling our first home. I woke up stressed and ran to the bathroom to throw up.

We moved into an apartment, and I was excited because the social worker that I had gotten a referral for was right down the street from our new place.

On the day after the move, I was sick again. :hmm: Okay, I can see the why on the day of the move, but the day after? My heart began racing as I realized that I was late. Could it be? After six years? It was six in the morning (an hour I never see unless I am sick), and I woke up Michael to tell him of my thoughts. He was suitably unimpressed. I asked him to go buy a pregnancy test and he asked if he could sleep some more first. I got sick again and he went to the store quickly, although he was still very skeptical. I took the test and there were two lines. Two lines! What did that mean? Two lines? I read the package and it meant "positive"! Woo hoo! I cried and cried and he held me close, still not believing. I went to the doctor that morning and his office called me at noon to say I was indeed pregnant.

It's hard to describe what I was feeling at that time regarding God's message to me to pray for a child that who's name was written in the book of life. I had prayed it so often, yet many times I believed I was saying - "Okay, God, I know I won't be having kids. I understand. Thank you. I love you."

I learned so much about myself and how God works during those six years. I learned that His "grace is sufficient for me." I learned that I have value as a married woman without children. I learned my gifts and talents. I learned that God can give a married couple strength and comfort during the grief and pain of infertility. I learned how to be empathetic to people's suffering.

However I had missed a BIG, BIG part of how God answers prayer. I had missed that sometimes He answers, "Not now." I understand "yes" and I understand "no." I did not understand "not now." I could so much better understand why Sarah did what she did with Hagar and Abraham. Waiting on the Lord was new to me. But He is faithful and good.

Our daughter is now 2 1/2 and God is still teaching me all about patience. :lol:

Blessings,
Stacey

[kayte]

Thanks so much for sharing all of that with us Stacey! What an uplifting post.
:hug:

Study Questions

1) When you pray, do you expect your heart and life to be changed? Have you experienced this?
Honestly, often when I've prayed, I've been very surprised at the changes He's made in me.

2) Are there things in your heart or mind that you suspect are false assumptions about God? Are you hanging onto them or have you gone to the Lord with them?
At this point in time, He's not showing me anything. ;)

3) Are you seeing that it is God that desires a relationship with you and that the desire you have to know Him is placed there by Him? What does that tell you about God?
Oh Yes! It tells me that He loves me. He loves each one of us so much more than we can fathom.

I'll finish the rest later.. have to go now. :)

[Momof5]

I know I haven't posted to this but again, I am being taught and I sure appreciate that!

[Eagles Wings]

Wonderful topic, Kayte! :)

Stacey, your story is so inspiring!
Us, human beings can get so "antsy" at times. It seems He saves His best for us if we can just....WAIT (which is so hard sometimes!) I am in a "waiting" season right now. The sad thing is, sometimes we miss the sweet things He wants to show us about Himself in those seasons because we just can't sit still!


Study Questions

1) When you pray, do you expect your heart and life to be changed? Have you experienced this?
I do expect it and I have experienced it!

2) Are there things in your heart or mind that you suspect are false assumptions about God? Are you hanging onto them or have you gone to the Lord with them?
I suppose there have been times that deep within, I feel God must get so tired of me coming to Him with the same old thing, but He is showing me that it is NOT true. Its just so hard to conceive the Lord's patience and mercy!

3) Are you seeing that it is God that desires a relationship with you and that the desire you have to know Him is placed there by Him? What does that tell you about God?It tells me that He is just so good....I cannot understand why or how He puts up with me sometimes, but that's who He is. He is so faithful and His love is so everlasting.

4) Can you think of instances in your own life that the Lord has ‘brought you into the kitchen and let you stir things’? What did you learn or are learning?
Yes... It has taught me that He is indeed in control and all the glory belongs to Him, none to me. I think He sometimes allows these things to check our humility levels. We have to remember that everything we do or "accomplish" is for His glory.

5) Are you working for God or with God?
Yes.

6) If you don’t see any work involving God in your life right now, why not?

[Debra R]

:) Kayte, I haven't responded yet but just wanted to let you know your prayer studies are great. And those who have shared their testimonies are so inspiring, hugs to all. :hug:

Study Questions

1) When you pray, do you expect your heart and life to be changed? Have you experienced this?

I have found that as you pray for others, even your enemies, that God does change your heart and give you a love for them that you never had felt before. And then He gives you a heart more like His, and a love and care for His people.




2) Are there things in your heart or mind that you suspect are false assumptions about God? Are you hanging onto them or have you gone to the Lord with them?

I admit I did have many false assumptions about God. But as I prayed to know Him and as I read His word, He has greatly changed my thinking.

3) Are you seeing that it is God that desires a relationship with you and that the desire you have to know Him is placed there by Him? What does that tell you about God?

That is the most awesome thing to me, realizing it is God who first puts the desire in our hearts to know Him. He desires to be close to us, to be a part of our lives. He cares about every aspect of our lives. To me that is the most awesome thing, our God cares even about the little things.

4) Can you think of instances in your own life that the Lord has ‘brought you into the kitchen and let you stir things’? What did you learn or are learning?

I have learned when I think I know the best way things should to be done, or what is to be stirred in, God knows better than me :saint:, and if I leave the planning and outcome to Him and trust in His plan, He works everything out, the best way. And that He should receive all the glory. For He is awesome, and worthy of glory and praise.

5) Are you working for God or with God?

Have to work "with" God, working "for" God does not work.


6) If you don’t see any work involving God in your life right now, why not?

You know what I ask God every day? I ask Him to let me see Him working.
And it is so cool, (not every day) but many times someone will just come up to me and tell me different things that the Lord is doing in their lives,
and I can also see the things He is doing in the lives of those I love. You know the times we don't see any thing happening for those we pray for and we feel a little discouraged and then He gives us a glimpse to let us know things are working out as He has planned. He continually give us hope and the joy in knowing He does hear our prayers and He is in control of all things :).

God bless.
In Christ's love,
Debra

[kayte]

Thanks so much for your posts Eagles Wings and Debra R. I love hearing how the Lord is making Himself known and is working in others lives.

This is the first chance I've had to finish this..

4) Can you think of instances in your own life that the Lord has ‘brought you into the kitchen and let you stir things’? What did you learn or are learning?
Yes.. several of my 'stirrings' are in these studies. I've learned that God truly is there... right there. Not off in the distance. He is intimately aware of exactly what is going on.. He is intimately aware of everything inside of us and He loves us still.
I'm learning that I not only 'can't'.. but that I don't want to twist God's arm. That if I'll walk with Him.. just following and obeying.. it will be good. Not just okay.. but good.
I'm learning to stop being short sighted and being so caught up in this time (this world) and to see with eternal perspectives.

5) Are you working for God or with God?
Sadly.. I do both.. but 'with God' is steadily gaining ground as I grow in my relationship with Him.

6) If you don’t see any work involving God in your life right now, why not?
I see Him working.. and right now it is a very painful work.