What's in your prayer?

Last night at our prayer team meeting at church, we were Dwelling in the Word as we considered the following passage:

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

“ ‘Why do the nations rage

and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth rise up

and the rulers band together

against the Lord

and against his anointed one. ’

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. (Acts 4:23-35 NIV)

As our group shared what captured their attention, several powerful ideas surfaced. One of these was that in the midst of persecution, difficulty, and trials, this group didn't pray for God to stop what was happening to them. Rather, they prayed for boldness.

There was no prayer that God would stop the persecution. No prayer that God would strike down their enemies. They didn't ask God to take them out of the situation or make everything better.

Enable us to be bold. Bring about healing. That was their prayer.

What if more of our prayers sounded this way? What if we started praying for God to change us before asking God to change our circumstances? How would that change our witness? How could that impact the world?

I don't believe that means we never pray for God to intervene in our situation. I don't believe that makes it wrong to ask God to protect us from our enemies and those who persecute us. However, it challenges us to consider what we focus on when we pray.

I am convinced that prayer's primary purpose is to change us, not convince God. Prayer is communication between Almighty God and me, a sinner. The perfect Creator and the imperfect creation. That tells me I am the one that needs to change, not God.

Will God hear my pleas and respond? I believe he will and often does. But most of the time, God needs me to be transformed so I can be ambassador of the Kingdom in whatever situation I find myself. Usually, I don't need God to change my circumstances; I need God to change my heart and mind so I can represent him in the midst of those circumstances.

Maybe if I prayed like that, God could use me more effectively to bring about the renewal and restoration this world desparately needs. How about you?

shine!

Jason