tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post8263658217733372685..comments2024-03-29T04:31:15.219-05:00Comments on Pastoral Meanderings: Does it pay to pray?Pastor Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-6833395565881387542019-05-29T21:45:00.745-05:002019-05-29T21:45:00.745-05:00"Too often we treat God and prayer as if He w..."Too often we treat God and prayer as if He were some miserly ogre who does not want to give us anything. To often we treat God and prayer as if there were limited grace and God had to pick and choose on whom to bestow the limited quantity of His grace, favor, and mercy. We pray as if our prayers were in competition with others and we had to convince God that we were more worthy, our needs more urgent, and our prayers more righteous."<br /><br />When Jesus walked the earth, he healed some but not others. His blessings were selective and seemed random. If our prayers were consistently answered with instant results, we would not be so hesitant to pray. We are also asked by the pastors of our congregations to participate in small prayer groups (prayer warriors!) and also to pray as a congregation for specific requests near the end of Sunday services. Does this mean a specific prayer has more power in numbers? Jesus is sovereign and we are but filthy beings slightly lower than angels - but slightly higher than apes! He doesn't owe us anything.<br /><br />God has the power to strike us down like Moses' sister Miriam, who was struck down by God with leprosy. Or perhaps we were supposed to carry out God's will but not sharp enough to recognize exactly what it was. Not all of us get solid cues as King Saul did when he was ordered not to spare the kings of the pagan nations his army conquered, but he disobeyed God's orders anyway. I feel ashamed approaching God not knowing for sure what I am supposed to be doing and how I fit in His will.<br /><br />God can change his mind. Lot convinced God not to destroy a small city where he wanted to flee after the angels told him to flee Sodom. There are other examples in the Old Testament of God changing his mind via our petitions. Maybe if we pester like the widow did to the unrighteous judge in Jesus' parable, God will answer us sooner. Some of us have prayed and waited decades for help for a specific problem, but help never arrived.<br /><br />Jesus saves some, but not all. Jesus blesses some, but not all. No one knows for sure the impact of their prayers. Some are blessed with much greater rewards than other people - either in this life, in the next life, or in both. I do now understand the role of purgatory and the efforts of Roman Catholics to pray to the dead to urge God to change His mind and to give our deceased relatives a greater reward. I have noticed that both the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholics encourage us to pray to the dead on our behalf. How do we know if the dead can hear us or can intercede for us?<br /><br />It is too easy to get discouraged and give up. We can always resign ourselves to the fact that our next life in Paradise is supposed to be much better. When should we let go and let God handle it all? I don't know.<br /><br />"For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever."<br /><br />By the way, why does Rome omit this last sentence from the Lord's Prayer? I have been to mass at several Roman Catholic parishes, and this is never recited.<br /><br />Your blog article has generated more questions than answers.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-70252670571375525662019-05-28T15:18:13.780-05:002019-05-28T15:18:13.780-05:00An old Pastor told me this years ago, and I never ...An old Pastor told me this years ago, and I never forgot it: God does answer all prayers in one of 3 ways, Yes. No. Or Wait, The Lord need not explain Himself, and He is sovereign. He knows what He is doing, and He may elect to deny our petition or prayer request for reasons only He understands. We pray in the name of Jesus for the will of God in a matter, not disrespectfully or presumptuously as if we know better, We must pray with humility of spirit.John Joseph Flanaganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06596324816480709495noreply@blogger.com