Reflections from Brewster
I have to admit that I feel as though I'm in hog heaven: surrounded by a lot of books, and no other schedule but to pray, read, write, and ponder. I have been thinking a lot about prayer lately and the essential nature of prayer for a discipleship church. Most people believe that prayer is important in principle, I think, but most of us actually engage in prayer in an anemic way or not at all.
One of the most readable and best books on prayer that I have read (I finished reading it yesterday) is Prayer by Philip Yancey. I highly recommend that you read it. One of the things that I like about Yancey is his honesty. He doesn't try to sugarcoat things and make them appear more appealing or more consistent than they really are. He doesn't skirt the issue of unanswered prayer as well.
Speaking of unanswered prayer, another book that I started reading yesterday and was highly recommended by Scot McKnight (of Jesus Creed fame) is God on Mute: Engaging the Silence of Unanswered Prayer by Pete Greig. As we all know and have experienced, God does not always answer our prayers. Sometimes it feels like God doesn't answer any of them. Greig writes, "If you are hurting and secretly wondering 'Where is God?' and 'Why's this happened to me?' and 'How come my prayers aren't working?' then I dedicate this book to you..."
One of the most readable and best books on prayer that I have read (I finished reading it yesterday) is Prayer by Philip Yancey. I highly recommend that you read it. One of the things that I like about Yancey is his honesty. He doesn't try to sugarcoat things and make them appear more appealing or more consistent than they really are. He doesn't skirt the issue of unanswered prayer as well.
Speaking of unanswered prayer, another book that I started reading yesterday and was highly recommended by Scot McKnight (of Jesus Creed fame) is God on Mute: Engaging the Silence of Unanswered Prayer by Pete Greig. As we all know and have experienced, God does not always answer our prayers. Sometimes it feels like God doesn't answer any of them. Greig writes, "If you are hurting and secretly wondering 'Where is God?' and 'Why's this happened to me?' and 'How come my prayers aren't working?' then I dedicate this book to you..."
posted by UCC Medfield at 1:20 PM
1 Comments:
In my youth, my parents told me that God listens, cares, and answers prayers. I would pray, hoping that God listened, cared, and would answer. Then, that hope was enough.
As a young adult, I truly needed God. I prayed out of a great yearning. And while God seemed to be on mute, His Word, the scriptures of the Bible spoke to me and touched me. It was very meaningful.
And then, I began to experience and see God's answers to one very specific prayer. I was and am in awe. And our relationship grew dramatically.
Throughout my adult years, my prayer-life has become one of the most important facets of my life. Period. Some prayers are answered. Some have not been, at least yet. And beyond the "formal prayer" God relates messages of love, hope, guidance, and often dramatic challenges on a regular basis.
There is some ebb and flow to God's present-ness. When He seems quiet, I hold onto the knowledge, firm knowledge, of when He's been present. And that's enough.
I keep praying and always will because I know God listens, cares, and sometimes answers. And when He doesn't seem to answer, I accept His "hang in there" with trust and thankfulness.
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