The phrase, “Please pray” is commonly used and when that request is made, people respond in a variety of ways.
Are those heartfelt responses actually what the person was asking for? In this blog post, I’m going to share a few thoughts about some things I’ve noticed in my walk with the Lord and His Children in the church …
Facebook feeds often have prayer requests – genuine requests – and people will post their heartfelt condolences for the difficulties, or the challenges that someone is facing. They’ll praise God for the good things and then stumble about trying to think of a “right” answer when things don’t go as the prayer requested … or as it was assumed to have requested. Attempting to reason with their minds, they’ll declare that the devil is beating someone up, or that God “has His reasons” and that there’s a lesson to be learned.
The life of a Christian is a daily journey of renewing the mind and healing the heart. It takes a lifetime! Why it is so hard then, for us to “get it” in regards to what God’s will is for us, or what direction we should take?
His will, as declared in more than one verse, is salvation and to live a whole, healthy, and prosperous life. That’s what He desires. That is not always what happens in this fallen world. If this is true, why are we asking God for His will regarding anything that brings salvation, deliverance, health, joy, and all that we need?
ASSUMING GOD’S WILL:
- Some assume that it is His will for a person to be “taken home” for “complete healing” (death)
- Some assume that it is His will for a person to suffer so that they can learn a lesson.
- Some assume that it is His will for a miraculous healing or provision.
- Some assume that because a person is deserving (in the eyes of the person who is praying for them), surely it’s the devil that is beating them up and that spiritual warfare must occur.
- *Spiritual warfare is a constant state of being ready, submitted to the authority of God (not the same thing as being submitted to a doctrine of a particular church), and speaking authoritatively because of the intimate knowledge of one’s position under authority.
With so many assumptions, how do you know that people are praying in unity?
FIERY TRIALS AND OUR RESPONSE
James 1: “2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”
The phrase, “Please pray” is commonly used and when that request is made, the listeners will fill in the blanks with what they think the request is really for.