"Praying"

Did you know the reason why,

We think that we should pray,

Is that it makes a difference,

And should from day to day.

But if the Lord is sovereign,

And really in control,

How much does it matter,

If all the truth be told.

And no one has the answer,

For the questions we might ask,

Or if we expect a miracle,

And that it’s too great a task.

Not for God Almighty,

But maybe for our faith,

Unless we learn to trust Him,

When the answer is to wait.

Or maybe grace that happens,

Poured out a different way,

Than what in prayer we asked for,

And all that we can say,

Is thank the Lord and praise Him,

Even if the grace,

Is not what we expected,

When we humbly seek His face.

And how much is predestined,

And all beforehand set,

Can our prayers change the Good Lord’s mind,

And something different get.

And what about our freedom,

The choices that we make,

How free are we really,

How much slack is there to take.

I give God all the mystery,

I release all questions, too,

I know that I can trust Him,

And so, I think, should you.

And, yes, I keep on praying,

And making my requests,

While ultimately God’s will be done,

His highest and His best.

Praying without ceasing,

And all in Jesus’ name,

Believing for the miracles,

And all for Jesus’ fame.

Your Kingdom come and will be done,

Right here just as above,

And, Lord, we ask as Your word says,

Please fill us with Your love.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let y our requests be made kown to God.” (Philippians 4:6, NAS)

Sometimes we have a very clear idea about God’s will in any given situation, so it’s no problem to align our prayers accordingly. Sometimes we really don’t know what the Lord wants to do, so we pray as best we can, make our requests known, and trust God to give His highest and best. Peace is promised to those who pray instead of caving in to our fears and worries. When we are stressed out about anything we should seek the Lord in prayer. It needs to be our default position and habitual discipline.

Lord, teach us to pray, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Mark Maggiori, used by permission. Thanks, Mark, and God bless you.