Speaker: Ben Sigman
Theme: Dealing with Life through Prayer
Weekend Music links on iTunes: Let God Arise by Chris Tomlin; Not To Us by Chris Tomlin; Glory by Hillsong; Rescue by Desperation Band
Read: James 4:2; Psalm 5:1-3; Matthew 7:9-11
Think: I have a wonderful, fulfilling and sometimes challenging job. No, I'm not a pastor! I work with preschoolers. I teach them but I also learn much from them and often I realize profound spiritual truths in what they do and say.
When the kids are hungry, one will generally say, "I'm hungry"! "Hmmm", I respond. She'll say a little louder, "I'm hungry!" I acknowledge her, and say, "I hear you, you're hungry". She may stamp her foot and insist, "I'm hungry!!!" I say, "Do you need me to help you?" "Yes", she whines. I reply, "Can you think of a way to ask me"? (She thinks....) "Will you please give me some food?" "Yes", I say. And I feed her.
My purpose is certainly not to frustrate the child or to get into a power struggle, but to help her learn to assert herself in a respectful way in order to get her needs met when she goes off to the larger world of Kindergarten. My goal is also to teach her to relate to me, not just to treat me as a vending machine.
One day, as this all too common scenario was taking place, it occurred to me that this is sometimes how I approach God in prayer. Honestly, many days my prayer times are more accurately sessions of general whining and venting. In Sunday's sermon, pastor advised us to be specific when we pray. Make our requests known. Our God is a God of love who desires to meet our needs, but His greater desire is for us to be in relationship with Him.
Do: If you feel that your prayers seem to be falling on deaf ears, could it be that you are simply venting or complaining when you talk to God and he is saying to you as I said to the child, "hmmm" and "I hear you"? Pay attention to how you are approaching God. Are you treating him as a sounding board or a vending machine? Your heavenly father loves you and desires for you to come and make your requests known to him. James 4:2 says "You do not have, because you do not ask God".
Pray: Dear God, The Bible tells me that you desire to be in relationship with me. How wonderful! Help me to more fully understand what that means and to come expectantly to you, making my requests known and then appreciate more fully your provision for me. Forgive me for the times I have treated you as a vending machine or as a sounding board against which I can vent my frustrations. You are so much more! I love you. Amen
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church. |
