I’ve been thinking about prayer lately. And how much time we spend asking God to remove obstacles from our life. I was reminded of this while I listened to the Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider share during the press interview where they introduced their new head coach to the world. A hire I think we are all pretty excited about. He shared that while he was waiting to interview the new coach, he actually went to church on Sunday and prayed that the Ravens would lose on Sunday, just so he would get to interview Mike MacDonald this week. If the Ravens had won on Sunday, he would have had to delay the interview until after the Super Bowl. Of course the Ravens lost and Schneider was able to interview him on Monday and hire him on Wednesday. Schneiders conclusion? Prayer works!
But I’m wondering if thats’s really what prayer is. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve prayed that way many times! In fact I’m at the ER right now with my “4th son”, Devon, praying that his kidney stones pass quickly! We pray those prayers a lot don't we? Dear God, remove the obstacle in front of me! Dear God, please take my cancer away! Something in our lives come onto our map and dams up our life-plan and we immediately want God to remove it. I get it!
But what if that’s not really how God works? What if this God thing isn’t about having God take away the obstacle!?! What if God is much more about helping us find a new path around that obstacle! What if our prayer life is more about learning to accept the things we can’t change and concentrating, instead, on going deep inside our souls to find the strength and determination to live with the pain?
Maybe prayer is less about getting rescued and more about listening to the Holy as God shows us the ways and resources we can use to get through this! Maybe prayer is more about listening for God as God helps us draw (or co-create) anew route around this road block!
For a significant time in my ministry I spent years as a volunteer hospice chaplain. In that work I walked beside many people who were either in the process of dying, or who were family members of people who were dying. I’ve sat with patients and their families as they prayed for God to take this cancer away. I’m not saying that was not a good use of time, I mean I think it’s one of the stages we have to go through, but I will say this: there was a whole different feel to the room when the one who was dying finally just said it…accepted it. After that person accepted it, it was like the rest of the family were given the opportunity to accept it too. And once that happened, it was as if God actually was allowed to enter the room. It was then that the love and peace that passes all understanding started to flow. Before that moment, it was almost like everyone was walking around the room pretending like there wasn’t an elephant in the room…but it was so obvious to everyone else that the elephant was sitting right there!
Once the one in pain, or the one dying, admitted it or accepted it…it was almost like that gave God (Sacred Love) permission to enter and begin to work.
So that brings me to this question: What would happen if our prayer life was more about learning to accept the harder realities of life? What would happen if prayer was much less about removing obstacles and burdens, and much more about learning to maneuver through them and/or carry them…together…with God’s help?
Dear God teach me how to pray!
Your pastor, still trying to accept my own elephants...God help me to see... Brook