This week there was an ad on television that seemed to stick in my
mind. I don't recall everything about it, although it was about the
lottery. But I did pick up on this phrase: "The 6 million dollar
jackpot- you can't win if you don't play!" That might be an obvious
statement to most viewers, but a reminder to them that so-called
millions are waiting for them if they will take the time (and money) to
purchase lottery tickets.
I am continuing on with the subject, "What Prayers Does God Hear" by
looking at the prayers that He does not hear. The obvious prayer that
God will not hear is the prayer that is not prayed. Don't misunderstand
my point, prayer is not like playing the lottery at all. But many
people I have met are disappointed with God because of the difficulty
they have in life, or they don't get what they want, or that things
don't work out the way they expected. Sometimes I will ask, "Did you
pray and ask God for it?" And they stare at me like a cow looking at a
new gate and reply, "No- I just thought God would know I needed it."
It is true that God does know our needs before we ever ask or think.
The Bible even tells us this in Matthew 6. And often God does provide
before we are even aware that He is providing, or even aware that we
have a need. But there is another side of this that we don't see and
that is, if we were in fact aware of the need, would we pray and ask God
for it? That is the point I am making, the tragedy of a prayer not
prayed. This morning I am in prayer for a young Christian lady with
cystic fibrosis who is on a respirator at Duke University Hospital in
Durham. She is also five months pregnant. Her husband is a music
minister at a local church. They had no qualms about letting us know
that we needed to pray for them. By the way, please pray for them,
because the young lady, Tricia, is seriously ill. We should certainly
pray that God will deliver her and her baby through this crisis. The
disturbing thought crosses my mind- "What if I had not prayed?" Even
worse, "what if the couple had not let us know to pray?" I would not
like to even fathom those questions.
In the text for today James says
"Where do wars and fights /come/ from among you? Do /they/ not
/come/ from your /desires for/ pleasure that war in your members? 2 You
lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight
and war. Yet^ you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do
not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend /it/ on your
pleasures." (James 4:1-3)
James also brings up another reason why God would not hear our
prayers- because we ask amiss- I'll address that one next week.
Remember: Always take time to prayer, morning and night and right
through the day. Always take time a prayer to pray.
Have a blessed day!
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