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.