Prayer and the Ordinary

There are times when God suspends the laws of nature, those laws that are in place to establish certainty and rule in His world. These times are normally referred to as miracles – something extraordinary. These are not the rule or the norm. It would be a very difficult world in which to live if there were no fixed laws in nature and randomness was the rule. Nevertheless, God is pleased at times to overrule or suspend some ordinary natural law in order to accomplish His purpose at any given time. Thus, while there are those events in Scripture and throughout history that defy natural explanation, most of what occurs in this world is observable and explainable.

This does not mean it is not amazing! Most of us don’t stop to really observe that which we take for granted every day. Isn’t this something of what God was teaching Job by way of questions as He took him on a survey of the universe? Nature is a testimony to the greatness and power of God! We really shouldn’t miss that due to familiarity!

How does this relate to prayer? Sometimes folks think of prayer primarily as a means to provoke the supernatural. If something supernatural doesn’t result, then prayer is not considered successful or impressive. Such thinking is similar to viewing the ordinary function of the natural world as unimpressive!

While there are supernatural things that occur in the context of prayer, this is not the primary fruit of prayer. Prayer is the means by which created humans, saved and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, are enabled to petition God and know that all things, including the ordinary things, will function together to bring about the will of God: Romans 8:27,28. 

Prayer is not a way to attempt to get God to do what we don’t want to do; or to get God to do so that we don’t have to.  Prayer is the way to seek God to direct us and to enable us and to bless what He has already given.

Jesus taught us to prayer this way: Give us this day our daily bread. But we also read in another place in the NT, if any would not work, neither should he eat. (2 Thess. 3:10) As we are praying for the provision of God, He blesses with the means! We pray for healing…and then we pursue every means that God provides (including diet, rest, exercise, surgery, etc.) trusting that God will bless the normal healing process He created! We pray for increase in the knowledge of God…and then we dig for fine gold, and work for sweet honey from Scripture! We pray for souls to be saved…and then we preach the gospel! Why? Because Jesus said, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. And, 1 Cor. 1:21, For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Prayer does not eliminate ordinary means. Prayer seeks God’s provision and blessing upon the means made available. Understanding this principle enables us to give thanks in all things and to bless Him continually – not just for that which we perceive to be “miraculous” or supernatural.

Interacting With Providence Through Prayer

It is helpful, and proper, to interact with providence through prayer. God has created us to think and reason and respond. With creative minds, an aspect of His image that we possess in a finite way, we are expected to think about life as it happens. It is with our minds that we engage in relationships. Relationship with our fellow created humanity, and fellowship with our Creator.

It is true that God is sovereign. It is true that God’s will is determinative. If God wills a matter, the matter will be. He has clearly informed us that He does whatever He pleases and that none can stop Him from accomplishing what He has determined (Psalm 115:3; Daniel 4:34,35). This is providence: God ruling over that which He has created. This is why the Apostle Paul spoke of doing certain things, if God will (Acts 18:21). James also teaches us that we should say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Yet, it is clear from numerous Biblical examples, recording for our learning, that God wants us relating to providence, not simply accepting it. Oh, it is true that we should accept God’s providence. With Job, we should say in the face of disaster: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. Jesus taught us to pray, not my will, but thine be done. We should always prefer the will of our all-wise, loving heavenly Father to our own will. His plan is perfect. We should never charge God with unrighteousness.

Yet, I repeat, God has clearly demonstrated through examples left for our instruction that He wants us approaching Him with reason and petitions that may argue against what it may seem providence has ordained. Case in point: the account of Elijah who intercedes on behalf of the widow woman who has tragically lost her son to a devastating sickness. The account is found in 1 Kings 17:17-24.

Elijah’s response to the grieving mother and the dead child is not a cold-hearted, calculated theological answer. He seems stunned by the news of his death. He takes the child to his room. It seems like he is attempting to collect himself and determine just what to do. He doesn’t simply chalk it up to providence. He doesn’t react as if there is nothing that can be done: “Providence has spoken. We must bow to God’s will and trust Him to help us through the grieving process.” This, in fact, may be the conclusion that he ultimately would come to, but that is not where he began.

Elijah, burdened that perhaps what was obviously the providence of God to that point was not the final word, cried unto the LORD. He prayed fervently. He reasoned with God, asking if this evil that was brought upon the widow woman’s son was really what He intended. Elijah was not convinced that this was the end of God’s providence in this case. He sensed that this was something he should cry out to God to correct or to change. He cries out for the soul of the child to return to his body.

Incredibly, Scripture clearly reveals this event to us in such a way that we are left encouraged that all is not simply sealed in some dark, cold fate. And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah! He heard him and responded by returning the soul of the child! The freedom of God’s will in providence was not violated. He is the One who chose to hear and respond to Elijah. There are other instances, such as David praying for the life of his sick and dying child, in which God’s will was the death of the child.

The lesson, for the purpose of this blog entry, is simply this: do not give up too quickly and easily in the face of hard providences. Cry out to the Lord, if your heart is so burdened to do so. Who knows but that your fervent prayer may be exactly what God intends in the process of carrying out His will. His providence may have brought hard things. His providence may include answering your fervent prayer. So, interact with God’s providence through prayer.

Ultimately, we must be satisfied with whatever God chooses to do in answer to our cries. This is the response of faith. This is the response of all who are convinced that God does what is best in response to the cries of His children. Our God is not a cold, inanimate force! He is the living God Who seeks worshippers.

Introduction

I am husband to Jodi, father to six boys and two girls, grandfather to five, step-grandfather to one, and Pastor to a great bunch of sinners saved by God's grace. Reading, learning, thinking, evaluating, experiencing and seeking to communicate helpful counsel to others is what I spend the majority of my time doing. My first love is the triune God. I long to see others helped in knowing and loving Him. If this blog can be of some assistance to fellow sojourners, then the time spent putting it together will not be wasted. 


Through many testings in life God has burned some truths into my being at a level that I would not have learned otherwise. I am sure that some of those lessons will come to light through this blog. How it all will come forth remains to be seen. I have no definitive plan. For any who wish to follow, I do hope to share some of the truths God has given to me through very difficult trials of life. Few have learned anything very well apart from trials. I am no exception. Truth and faith is tested in the crucible of trials. Who you really are and what you really believe will come to the surface in the process of life impacting trials. 


So, welcome aboard. For what it's worth, these are my thoughts and I take full responsibility for the content. This blog has not been filtered through any other minds or board of overseers. So, if you object to what you read, please place all the blame upon me. If you read something that is out of line, you are welcome to give feed back in the spirit of love. If you have something helpful to add, feel free to chime in. I assure you that I do not think of myself as having figured out all of life's difficult questions. Maybe we can grow together!


Welcome to My Blog,


Kyle White