What can I do?
So
many of our prayers are about asking God to do or give things for us. What if,
just for a change, we asked God what we can do for Him? What if, for a change,
we focussed not on ourselves and our problems, but on God and other people’s
problems? What if, for a change, we trusted God and His judgement rather than
ourselves and our own judgement?
Have
you entered into prayer lately with anything other than a shopping list albeit
for yourself, but also for your family, and for others? When did you last pray
Psalm 91 or Psalm 121 over your family and then move on? When was the last time
you prayed any scripture over yourself and your family, or even over your
church?
The
problem with preachers and blog writers is that they ask all sorts of
rhetorical questions and just leave them hanging in the air – unanswered and
mostly unanswerable. Well allow me to give an answer of sorts. It may or may not
help you, but I must ask a further question first. When was the last time our
authority in Christ was explained or preached in your church?
You
see, Jesus was given all authority by His Father and He gave it to us too. Why
else would He give us such a tremendous job to do as He did in Mark 16:15-16 “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all
creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever
does not believe will be condemned. “ However, having given that
command, He then went on in verses 16-18, “And these signs will
accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will
speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when
they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their
hands on sick people, and they will get well. “ There is the authority –
They will drive out demons, speak in new tongues, and heal the sick. Jesus
doesn’t say that we might, or could, or probably will. He doesn’t say we should
pray and then He might or could or probably will. He says we WILL do these
things.
Jesus
has already said that He is our provider, that He is our healer, and that He is
the Good Shepherd who looks after all of His sheep. He has already told us
that, before we pray, He knows what we need and that He will supply that need.
So
I believe God is calling us to abandon our prayers for ourselves, to abandon
our usual asking for what we think we need or, more likely, what we want, and
for us to ask instead what it is that He wants for us each day. The answers may
surprise us, but the joy of obedience to His will and the peace of knowing we
are doing what He wants us to do, are immeasurable.
Ask
not what God can do for you. Rather ask God what you can do for Him. Then listen
for His response and quite simply, just do it.
No comments:
Post a Comment