Jesus taught us how to pray in a portion of scripture
commonly referred to as the “Lord’s Prayer.” In it, He instructs to pray God’s
will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.
That doesn’t include, “God change my circumstances because
they make me uncomfortable, and because they don’t fit within my expectations
of how things are supposed to be.”
Which is how I pray. It has been the motivating force behind
my prayers. I have been praying defective prayers.
Expectations and
comfort. They rule my mind like a whining baby king. How can I dethrone these
immature and relentless idols?
And unmet expectations and discomfort make me feel hopeless.
And frustrated.
But feelings are little liars. They undermine the will of
God. If I was stirred to pray strictly by the pursuit of the will of God,
feelings would lose their validity, and their stronghold on me.
And frustration. I once heard a Bible study teacher define frustration
as the flesh trying to get its own way. The solitary pursuit of seeking the
will of God would annihilate frustration out of existence.
Your kingdom come;
Your will be done.
I marvel at the words of Christ. Some phrases seem so
simple, and would spill from my lips from rote memory, but they contain power.
So much power.
Power to pull off the blinders that cause me to worship the false
gods of comfort and expectation, which deceive me into feel hopeless and
frustrated.
I once was blind, but by His words, now I see. And I am
free.
Free to pray God’s will be done on earth, as it is in
heaven. And God’s will be done in me.
