My late, great uncle Joe loved kites. He was an engineer through and through and he loved creating new designs and seeing what he could do both in the design of kites and with the materials he had available to him. He once taught us how to make kites out of some dowells a bit of tape and a garbage bag!
But designing and building a kite is really only half the fun. The true test of the kite came when he would attach a string and see what the fruits of his labor could do. Often a new design would debut at the Longbeach Kite Festival. The wind would kick up and he would unfurl his creation allowing it to soar high into the air along with hundreds of others all around him.
I liked the kites, but I never had the passion and love that he did. It was fun to watch, but I couldn't do it for an entire weekend. I now have a better appreciation for kite, however, due to a prayer uttered by my friend Pat.
The 77's have a song called "Kites Without Strings" (Pray Naked album) in which the singer sings "Kites without strings go on to bigger things". Pat used the analogy to say just the opposite, and I think Pat is right: Kites without strings end up in trees.
The reason Pat mentioned kites was as an analogy for marriage. In order for a kite to catch wind and soar to great hights it needs the tension of the string. No tension, no flight.
There is a great give and take between the string and the kite. It is an exquisite partnership by which the kite is able to soar, perform acrobatics, or just rest in the wind. The very thing that restrains the kite is the thing that makes its flight possible.
A person who is a visionary needs antoher to ground him. Why? Because often the one who has the vision is not the person who can accomplish it. There is a required teamwork which doesn't allow us to complete our work alone. The apostle Paul reiterates this again and again, stating the church is a body made up of many parts, an organization with many different roles, a house with varied elements.
The thing that drives me crazy about my spouse is likely the very thing I am missing in my life (by design). But it doesn't have to be an idiosyncracy or pet peeve. My wife, for example, is amazingly social. She finds and makes friends EVERYWHERE. She has no problem striking up a conversation with anyone. I, on the otherhand, am not. I have to credit our large network of friends to her. And for that I am eternally grateful.
My wife, in her social capacity, acts as the kite. I get the honor of being the string - restraining our social calendar to managable levels and keeping us at home a few nights a week. (Granted our 1.5 year old son has done much of that work for me lately). But I mustn't only be a restraint. I also need to know when to let out the tension and let her fly higher.
There is that exquisite partnership - keeping the kite flying without breaking the string or allowing it to fall to the ground. Letting out the tension when the wind is strong and pulling it in when greater tension is needed. Whether playing the part of the kite or the string (and often-times both!), we need to learn the art of staying in flight!
No wonder my great uncle Joe loved kites so much!
Friday, June 10, 2005
Hierarchy of Spiritual Needs?
My friend Rick (also pastor of our church), mentioned an idea last Wednesday which basically posits that there may be a hierarchy of spiritual needs similar to Maslow's Hierarchy of needs.
Maslow's hierarchy goes like this (from most to least necessary): Physiological, Safety, Love (and belonging), Esteem, Self-Actualization. You can't have any of the latter without attaining the former. Basically, when you have food, you can worry about protecting it (and yourself), etc.
So my question to you is, what does the spiritual hierarchy look like? I'll get the ball rolling with what I see as the base (certainly from a Christian perspective): Salvation. But what other spiritual needs are in the hierarchy? Let me know what you come up with.
Maslow's hierarchy goes like this (from most to least necessary): Physiological, Safety, Love (and belonging), Esteem, Self-Actualization. You can't have any of the latter without attaining the former. Basically, when you have food, you can worry about protecting it (and yourself), etc.
So my question to you is, what does the spiritual hierarchy look like? I'll get the ball rolling with what I see as the base (certainly from a Christian perspective): Salvation. But what other spiritual needs are in the hierarchy? Let me know what you come up with.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Smack Down - Round II
When I last left this thread, I was quoting extensively from James trying to figure out why or why isn't a prayer "answered". I hedged a bit by saying I didn't know, but there are some clues left sprinkled throughout the scriptures. I won't pretend to try to give a definitive answer, but instead continue to wrestle with the question.
I think it's an important question and one that is at the center of a Christian's life. Prayer, combined with the scriptures, should be at the very heart of any Christian's faith and so I would argue that effective, accurate prayer is critical. But how do we pray effectively, precisely, accurately? And what exactly is the nature of prayer anyway? I won't be able to answer those questions with any satisfaction here, but I can at least try to crack the doors a little.
Now, where was I? Oh, yeah, climbing up those turnbuckles to try to get a jump on this thing. Let's return to James.
You Do Not Have Because You Do Not Ask
James 4:2 says "You do not have, because you do not ask God." So clearly, the first step is asking. Jesus tells us to "ask, seek, knock". This discussion assumes that you asked and did or did not get what you asked for, but this serves as a reminder that asking really is the first step.
Motivation
We need to take a few steps back for this section, so I will quote James more thouroughly:
"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:1-3)
First James tells us that greed and covetousness is at the heart of quarells among his audience (nothing new here - think Cain) We want something, but don't get it. Someone else has it, so we take it (or covet it, or are jealous...or worse)
The first problem is not being content with what we have. We focus on ourselves and our own desires (James 1 has a bit to say about that.) The second problem is we rely on ourselves to get what we don't have (but doesn't "every good and perfect gift come from above"?), instead of relying on God. When we finally DO ask God, our motives are suspect. Why are we asking God for this thing? For our own pleasure and glory.
This, of course, is not a blanket answer. I don't think the ONLY reason our prayers aren't answered is because we're greedy hedons. In fact, I'm fairly certain that most, if not all, the prayers I hear uttered in the prayer room are sincerely offered for the glory of God. Still, I think for us to pray effectively we must be truly be in the attitude of "hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done...".
The imporant thing, I think, for us to take away from this passage is that God the Father wants the best for His children. He doesn't simply hand out gifts simply because we want them. He knows how we will use what we ask for and rather than let us be self-destructive, he simply refuses to give us everything we want when we want it. (Sometimes we get what we ask for, and then we regret it...but God knows when we will learn from our mistakes and when we'll just perpetuate our own destruction.)
But that is the easy case. The "God give me a porsche" case. Most of us are sincerely asking God for help. Many times we're not even asking for ourselves, but on behalf of another. These really aren't selfish desires - they are true pleas for God to do what we cannot. Why don't we see more answers to such requests?
The Prayer Offered in Faith
Here is where I struggle to come up with a truly satisfying answer. At this point, I I've jumped off the rope and am attempting to make contact. James has some truly difficult words for us:
"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up." (James 5:13-15)
This paragraph wouldn't give us pause except for that last sentence. It seems like we're given a prescription: call the elders, they will pray and anoint you and you will get well. How many times have we seen this done (or done it ourselves?) and not seen healing? A massive internal struggle then begins. Was the prayer offered in faith? I think so. Then what of James' words? How do we reconcile them with the reality that we experience? (I've landed on the question, but it remains standing! It's time to hold on for dear life and hope I don't get crushed under the weight!)
Let's eliminate the first variable from the equation, so that we're dealing with "knowns". James puts some of the onus on the sick person: "he should call the elders..." That is, there is an element of asking and humility that is involved. We often pray (and rightly so) for people who haven't asked for it. But it seems the request of the sick person is an important act of faith. Let's assume that the request has been made and we annoint and pray for that person. James seems pretty unequivocal when it comes to the power of prayer, so how do we understand a sick person NOT getting well?
Down For The Count?
I don't think I have any satisfactory answers. I, myself, am trying to puzzle it out - which is one of the reasons I'm writing this. Maybe through the sharing of the struggle, we can begin to have the first hint of understanding. What is the prayer offered in faith? How can we pray without a hint of doubt, when we've seen our own prayers go unanswered - sometimes more often than not?
At this point, I think it's important to get a better grip on this thing by laying our a few knowns (or assumptions).
1) God can and will heal the sick (or even dead!). There's really nothing beyond His power and we can turn to numerous places in scripture to back this up.
2) The scriptures are the inerrant Word of God and James' epistle is part of those scriptures. I note this because I'm using it as my proof-text. This thread isn't about Biblical criticism, so I'm not going to try to defend this right now. Just take it as an a priori assumption for now.
3) James is not the complete scriptures. One fallacy that many people (including myself) fall into is using a single verse, chapter or book to understand, justify and explain Biblical truths. It must be read as a whole, otherwise it's like trying to understand The Lord of the Rings by reading only a bit of it. We wouldn't do it with Tolkein, so why to we do it with God?
Where does that leave us? Remember, the original question was "why isn't my prayer answered?", then I decided to ask "why IS my prayer answered?". I don't think I've made it very far, but I do think I've gotten somewhere - at least I'm still holding on, and possibly in position for a hammer-lock. Here's the recap:
1) If you don't ask, you won't get.
2) If you do ask, ask with pure motives.
3) Prayer must be offered in faith. (What does that mean? I'm still trying to figure it out.)
4) It is possible for us to pray effectively. ("Elijah was a man just like us...")
Conclusion
I have a long ways to go in understanding this one. I think this will be a long match, but maybe with a few years of meditation, contemplation, study and PRAYER, I'll have a more satisfying answer. This doesn't mean I'm down for the count, nor does it mean that we have asked an unanswerable question. It means that we've just started first rounds the wrestling match and it may be the best 5 out of 7.
A few things are clear: we shouldn't stop asking, seeking and knocking. James offers us only part of the answer and we must continue to dig into the Bible to help us better understand prayer. Ultimately, prayer is about knowing our Father, not getting what we ask for. One way God reveals Himself is through His gifts, but there is much more to prayer than asking for stuff (supplication, in theology-speak.)
This is a lifelong pursuit. I'm sure I'll be returning to it here in the future. Until then, use it as a jumping off point for your own meditations. If you have something to share, please do. We are traveling on this journey together.
I think it's an important question and one that is at the center of a Christian's life. Prayer, combined with the scriptures, should be at the very heart of any Christian's faith and so I would argue that effective, accurate prayer is critical. But how do we pray effectively, precisely, accurately? And what exactly is the nature of prayer anyway? I won't be able to answer those questions with any satisfaction here, but I can at least try to crack the doors a little.
Now, where was I? Oh, yeah, climbing up those turnbuckles to try to get a jump on this thing. Let's return to James.
You Do Not Have Because You Do Not Ask
James 4:2 says "You do not have, because you do not ask God." So clearly, the first step is asking. Jesus tells us to "ask, seek, knock". This discussion assumes that you asked and did or did not get what you asked for, but this serves as a reminder that asking really is the first step.
Motivation
We need to take a few steps back for this section, so I will quote James more thouroughly:
"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:1-3)
First James tells us that greed and covetousness is at the heart of quarells among his audience (nothing new here - think Cain) We want something, but don't get it. Someone else has it, so we take it (or covet it, or are jealous...or worse)
The first problem is not being content with what we have. We focus on ourselves and our own desires (James 1 has a bit to say about that.) The second problem is we rely on ourselves to get what we don't have (but doesn't "every good and perfect gift come from above"?), instead of relying on God. When we finally DO ask God, our motives are suspect. Why are we asking God for this thing? For our own pleasure and glory.
This, of course, is not a blanket answer. I don't think the ONLY reason our prayers aren't answered is because we're greedy hedons. In fact, I'm fairly certain that most, if not all, the prayers I hear uttered in the prayer room are sincerely offered for the glory of God. Still, I think for us to pray effectively we must be truly be in the attitude of "hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done...".
The imporant thing, I think, for us to take away from this passage is that God the Father wants the best for His children. He doesn't simply hand out gifts simply because we want them. He knows how we will use what we ask for and rather than let us be self-destructive, he simply refuses to give us everything we want when we want it. (Sometimes we get what we ask for, and then we regret it...but God knows when we will learn from our mistakes and when we'll just perpetuate our own destruction.)
But that is the easy case. The "God give me a porsche" case. Most of us are sincerely asking God for help. Many times we're not even asking for ourselves, but on behalf of another. These really aren't selfish desires - they are true pleas for God to do what we cannot. Why don't we see more answers to such requests?
The Prayer Offered in Faith
Here is where I struggle to come up with a truly satisfying answer. At this point, I I've jumped off the rope and am attempting to make contact. James has some truly difficult words for us:
"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up." (James 5:13-15)
This paragraph wouldn't give us pause except for that last sentence. It seems like we're given a prescription: call the elders, they will pray and anoint you and you will get well. How many times have we seen this done (or done it ourselves?) and not seen healing? A massive internal struggle then begins. Was the prayer offered in faith? I think so. Then what of James' words? How do we reconcile them with the reality that we experience? (I've landed on the question, but it remains standing! It's time to hold on for dear life and hope I don't get crushed under the weight!)
Let's eliminate the first variable from the equation, so that we're dealing with "knowns". James puts some of the onus on the sick person: "he should call the elders..." That is, there is an element of asking and humility that is involved. We often pray (and rightly so) for people who haven't asked for it. But it seems the request of the sick person is an important act of faith. Let's assume that the request has been made and we annoint and pray for that person. James seems pretty unequivocal when it comes to the power of prayer, so how do we understand a sick person NOT getting well?
Down For The Count?
I don't think I have any satisfactory answers. I, myself, am trying to puzzle it out - which is one of the reasons I'm writing this. Maybe through the sharing of the struggle, we can begin to have the first hint of understanding. What is the prayer offered in faith? How can we pray without a hint of doubt, when we've seen our own prayers go unanswered - sometimes more often than not?
At this point, I think it's important to get a better grip on this thing by laying our a few knowns (or assumptions).
1) God can and will heal the sick (or even dead!). There's really nothing beyond His power and we can turn to numerous places in scripture to back this up.
2) The scriptures are the inerrant Word of God and James' epistle is part of those scriptures. I note this because I'm using it as my proof-text. This thread isn't about Biblical criticism, so I'm not going to try to defend this right now. Just take it as an a priori assumption for now.
3) James is not the complete scriptures. One fallacy that many people (including myself) fall into is using a single verse, chapter or book to understand, justify and explain Biblical truths. It must be read as a whole, otherwise it's like trying to understand The Lord of the Rings by reading only a bit of it. We wouldn't do it with Tolkein, so why to we do it with God?
Where does that leave us? Remember, the original question was "why isn't my prayer answered?", then I decided to ask "why IS my prayer answered?". I don't think I've made it very far, but I do think I've gotten somewhere - at least I'm still holding on, and possibly in position for a hammer-lock. Here's the recap:
1) If you don't ask, you won't get.
2) If you do ask, ask with pure motives.
3) Prayer must be offered in faith. (What does that mean? I'm still trying to figure it out.)
4) It is possible for us to pray effectively. ("Elijah was a man just like us...")
Conclusion
I have a long ways to go in understanding this one. I think this will be a long match, but maybe with a few years of meditation, contemplation, study and PRAYER, I'll have a more satisfying answer. This doesn't mean I'm down for the count, nor does it mean that we have asked an unanswerable question. It means that we've just started first rounds the wrestling match and it may be the best 5 out of 7.
A few things are clear: we shouldn't stop asking, seeking and knocking. James offers us only part of the answer and we must continue to dig into the Bible to help us better understand prayer. Ultimately, prayer is about knowing our Father, not getting what we ask for. One way God reveals Himself is through His gifts, but there is much more to prayer than asking for stuff (supplication, in theology-speak.)
This is a lifelong pursuit. I'm sure I'll be returning to it here in the future. Until then, use it as a jumping off point for your own meditations. If you have something to share, please do. We are traveling on this journey together.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Read This!
One more quick interruption. I found this article in The New Republic to be inspiring. I'll probably read it again and write on it some time. I'd love to hear others' comments. For now I'll let it speak for itself:
OUT OF TIME
On the Asymmetry of Creation and Appreciation
OUT OF TIME
On the Asymmetry of Creation and Appreciation
And Now For These Messages
I will return to the Smack Down soon (hopefully today, but it may be tomorrow - you'll see why below.) But until the dramatic conclusion (or is it...?) a quick endoresement:
The Old 100th
Check out pipedreams.org Specifically the streaming audio for "Variations on 'The Old 100th'" (May 30, 2005 - No. 0522). Normally, I wouldn't be one to endorse pipe organ music, but I caught this show on my way home the other day and it was really cool - specifically the last half hour. What's so cool about it?
1) The "Old 100th" is the same tune as the "Doxology" (Praise Him from whom all blessings flow...) the words are just a paraphrase of th 100th Psalm
2) The last half hour has a guy going crazy on the organ using this theme as a base
3) I can listen to it while I work
4) I really like getting this tune stuck in my head - which isn't the case for a lot of catchy tunes. (Peter and the Wolf also gets stuck, but I'm less into it. My son likes it, however.
Qwest, Bah!
So we moved recently and Qwest said that our DSL will be up in a week. It'd been a week, so we called and said "Yo, what's up with the DSL?" And they said "DSL isn't available in your neighborhood." and I said (to myself) "That's whack. It's like living in the Dark Ages." But here's my biggest beef: Why would they say it's available in a week when it's available......NEVER!?! (or at least indefinitely.)
So:
I can't post from home (which was my plan when DSL came on line)
I have to get internet via cable if I want high speed
I have to cancel my ISP and get new email and web addresses
I have to return the modem I'm currently renting because IT JUST BLINKS ON MY DESK TAUNTING ME
I will have to monkey about with my router to get more than one computer on my network and networking issues are just no fun.
(sigh) Oh well. I suppose it could be worse. And to think we almost had a somewhat decent Qwest experience. Ooops. Nope. Sorry. Ma Bell, I got the ill communication
I now return you to your regularly scheduled program...
The Old 100th
Check out pipedreams.org Specifically the streaming audio for "Variations on 'The Old 100th'" (May 30, 2005 - No. 0522). Normally, I wouldn't be one to endorse pipe organ music, but I caught this show on my way home the other day and it was really cool - specifically the last half hour. What's so cool about it?
1) The "Old 100th" is the same tune as the "Doxology" (Praise Him from whom all blessings flow...) the words are just a paraphrase of th 100th Psalm
2) The last half hour has a guy going crazy on the organ using this theme as a base
3) I can listen to it while I work
4) I really like getting this tune stuck in my head - which isn't the case for a lot of catchy tunes. (Peter and the Wolf also gets stuck, but I'm less into it. My son likes it, however.
Qwest, Bah!
So we moved recently and Qwest said that our DSL will be up in a week. It'd been a week, so we called and said "Yo, what's up with the DSL?" And they said "DSL isn't available in your neighborhood." and I said (to myself) "That's whack. It's like living in the Dark Ages." But here's my biggest beef: Why would they say it's available in a week when it's available......NEVER!?! (or at least indefinitely.)
So:
I can't post from home (which was my plan when DSL came on line)
I have to get internet via cable if I want high speed
I have to cancel my ISP and get new email and web addresses
I have to return the modem I'm currently renting because IT JUST BLINKS ON MY DESK TAUNTING ME
I will have to monkey about with my router to get more than one computer on my network and networking issues are just no fun.
(sigh) Oh well. I suppose it could be worse. And to think we almost had a somewhat decent Qwest experience. Ooops. Nope. Sorry. Ma Bell, I got the ill communication
I now return you to your regularly scheduled program...
Monday, June 06, 2005
Smack Down - Round I
As promised last post, I'm climbing into the ring to wrestle with the question "why isn't my prayer answered?" I'm going to start out in a defensive posture on this one: It's way bigger than me and really hard to pin down - I'm going to just try and stay on my feet.
So here's my first maneuver: I don't know. (The crowd boos and throws things...) But wait - before there's a riot out there, let me hedge a bit - I promise there will be full body contact, I just need to get into position.
You see, it's a loaded question. We need to define what is meant by "answering my prayer". Sure, I could say that God answers all prayers, but sometimes He says "no." But, while accurate, feels a lot like cheating. I wouldn't be completely off-base by saying it after all, didn't Christ pray "Take this cup from me"? (and immediately followed it with "But not my will, but yours be done.") Sometimes we ask for things we know we won't get - In Christ's example, I think it was simply a demonstration of human emotion. After all, if you knew you were going to be beaten, tortured, mocked and crucified I suspect you'd express similar sentiments (I know I would.)
I think the question is more rightly phrased "Why don't we pray with the power of the early church?" How many of us pray for healing and see it? Regularly? Or pray for other needs - jobs, marriages, wisdom, guidance and get clear answers? Not me. The thing is I REALLY want to see those things - and I believe they are available to us.
I also believe that God is not a cosmic sugar-daddy. We have a word for children that get everything they ask for whenever they ask: spoiled. Why? Because they begin to think that their wants are inalienable rights. And what happens when they don't get what they want? Meltdown. (I know you Harry Potter fans are thinking "Dudley Dursely" and you'd be right.) So where does that leave us?
Here's where I start climbing up the turnbuckle to jump from the top rope. I only hope the gambit works: I'm pretty sure there is a complex interaction between making the right requests and fully understanding the "spirit of power, love and self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7). These are both firmly intertwined with what the meaning of "faith" is, as well, so we have a pretty big knot to untangle.
It seems lame to say "your prayers weren't answered because you didn't ask for the right thing." First, it feels like a cop out. Second - sometimes we're genuinely asking for something God says he'll give - e.g. wisdom, guidance, daily bread. So I'm not sure that asking for the right thing is at the heart of the question. Finally, if we know we're going to get something (or not get something), the asking is of a different quality. There's everything from the polite: "Please pass the peas, please" variety, to the mostly ridiculous "Please send me a Porsche today."
But what of the sincere request? Here's where I step up to the second rope - and end with what the apostle James tells us:
"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (James 4:3)
"And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up." (James 5:15)
"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:16b)
"Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops." (James 5:17-18)
So James seems to give some indication both of why a prayer isn't answered (or even worse, isn't prayed!) and that prayer will be answered - at least under some conditions. So maybe our strategy will be more fruitful if instead of asking "why ISN'T my prayer answered", we ask "why it IS." That is, what made Elijah's prayers successful, when mine seem to be less so (or at the very least, less powerful.)
Next time: I step up to the top rope and take the big leap. Will I land a blow against my opponent or land on face? You make the call. Are we any closer to answers or have we just added more questions? Are we walking the line or the circle? Let me know.
One last thing to keep in mind: I think the purpose of prayer is less about getting what we ask for than about building our relationship with God. (see previous posts) Still, we can't divorce James' words from that underlying purpose...my head hurts, but I'm still on my feet...
So here's my first maneuver: I don't know. (The crowd boos and throws things...) But wait - before there's a riot out there, let me hedge a bit - I promise there will be full body contact, I just need to get into position.
You see, it's a loaded question. We need to define what is meant by "answering my prayer". Sure, I could say that God answers all prayers, but sometimes He says "no." But, while accurate, feels a lot like cheating. I wouldn't be completely off-base by saying it after all, didn't Christ pray "Take this cup from me"? (and immediately followed it with "But not my will, but yours be done.") Sometimes we ask for things we know we won't get - In Christ's example, I think it was simply a demonstration of human emotion. After all, if you knew you were going to be beaten, tortured, mocked and crucified I suspect you'd express similar sentiments (I know I would.)
I think the question is more rightly phrased "Why don't we pray with the power of the early church?" How many of us pray for healing and see it? Regularly? Or pray for other needs - jobs, marriages, wisdom, guidance and get clear answers? Not me. The thing is I REALLY want to see those things - and I believe they are available to us.
I also believe that God is not a cosmic sugar-daddy. We have a word for children that get everything they ask for whenever they ask: spoiled. Why? Because they begin to think that their wants are inalienable rights. And what happens when they don't get what they want? Meltdown. (I know you Harry Potter fans are thinking "Dudley Dursely" and you'd be right.) So where does that leave us?
Here's where I start climbing up the turnbuckle to jump from the top rope. I only hope the gambit works: I'm pretty sure there is a complex interaction between making the right requests and fully understanding the "spirit of power, love and self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7). These are both firmly intertwined with what the meaning of "faith" is, as well, so we have a pretty big knot to untangle.
It seems lame to say "your prayers weren't answered because you didn't ask for the right thing." First, it feels like a cop out. Second - sometimes we're genuinely asking for something God says he'll give - e.g. wisdom, guidance, daily bread. So I'm not sure that asking for the right thing is at the heart of the question. Finally, if we know we're going to get something (or not get something), the asking is of a different quality. There's everything from the polite: "Please pass the peas, please" variety, to the mostly ridiculous "Please send me a Porsche today."
But what of the sincere request? Here's where I step up to the second rope - and end with what the apostle James tells us:
"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (James 4:3)
"And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up." (James 5:15)
"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:16b)
"Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops." (James 5:17-18)
So James seems to give some indication both of why a prayer isn't answered (or even worse, isn't prayed!) and that prayer will be answered - at least under some conditions. So maybe our strategy will be more fruitful if instead of asking "why ISN'T my prayer answered", we ask "why it IS." That is, what made Elijah's prayers successful, when mine seem to be less so (or at the very least, less powerful.)
Next time: I step up to the top rope and take the big leap. Will I land a blow against my opponent or land on face? You make the call. Are we any closer to answers or have we just added more questions? Are we walking the line or the circle? Let me know.
One last thing to keep in mind: I think the purpose of prayer is less about getting what we ask for than about building our relationship with God. (see previous posts) Still, we can't divorce James' words from that underlying purpose...my head hurts, but I'm still on my feet...
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