Vickie J Blair
Thoughts Along Life's Journey
When Prayer Disappoints
Have you ever had that begging prayer experience, when you want something so badly, that you plead in earnest for God to bring about the outcome you desire? You wait, you wonder, you hope. Then, instead of relief and happiness, you are given the opposite of what you asked. Disappointment drops a lead weight of discouragement upon you. What can you do? How can you climb that mountain of hope ever again?
Hope in God, peace in Him, joy reigning no matter life’s circumstances, is something that is cultivated over time spent with Him. Like a farmer who drops a seed into the ground, he doesn’t walk away with heart’s desire that fruit will grow. He waters, fertilizes, and weeds the area. In our spiritual worlds we must also nurture our relationship with God in the same manner. Growing absolute trust in God, and in His ways for us, is only sustained through time spent with Him.
Even Jesus began His day on earth by going somewhere to spend quality time alone with His Father. When the hour had come to be arrested and crucified for your sins and mine, Jesus felt every human fear and dread that you and I feel (Hebrews 4:15-16). In great anguish He uttered a begging prayer, pleading with His Father to bring about another way to go through what was to come. We find this insightful event recorded in Matthew 26:39, “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying. ‘Oh My Father, if it’s possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.'” Jesus asked with great hope, but He was able to say with all His heart, “not as I will, but as You will.” How could He do that, knowing what was about to happen? He could have run away. He could have summoned legions of angels to His rescue. He did none of those things. Instead, He trusted His Father, and He was not disappointed with the ultimate outcome.
Jesus, man as well as God, cultivated His relationship with His Father. He did that in the same way as any of us grows a strong relationship with anyone. We spend time communicating with the person. Without communication there can be no close relationship. Jesus didn’t wait for emergency moments to talk with His Father. Due to His daily talking and listening to His Father, He was able to trust whatever the outcome would be, even in His most dire moment. It can be the same for you and me.
As we are now beginning a new year, let us be determined to deepen our relationship with God. Let us nurture sweet communion with Him. In doing so, we will most assuredly gain all the hope and joy and peace and strength to face anything this next year brings to us. Never forget, Jesus is our everything to get us through anything. Getting through the “anythings” of life is only made sweeter, peaceful, and courageous when we have first tended to our relationship with Him, just as the farmer does with the seed.
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Vickie, thank you for reminding me to nurture my relationship with Jesus and to spend that quiet time talking to him and listening to him in the quiet time I spend daily with him..