The Complications of Prayer - PART 2

Do all those exceptions mean we can never know what our prayers will produce? Of course not. Effective prayer can be realized when we are already tuned into what God is doing in our lives. That may sound redundant as many of us view prayer as the way we find out what God wants us to do. However, having a prayer life that produces Divine results assumes certain attitudes are already being practiced in our lives.

For instance, in James 5:16, prayers that make a difference involve the confession of faults and the pursuit of righteousness in our lives. This righteousness in no way implies perfection since the same verse already reveals we have faults to be confessed. It refers to our willingness to live in harmony with God's standards, even when we realize we are in the wrong. In John 14:13-14, Jesus told His disciples that if they were to ask anything in His name, He would do it. They must have possessed some prior insight into the type of prayers Christ would readily grant His authorization. Both these references to effective prayers involve us having a preexisting relationship with God that submits to His will and honors Jesus Christ.

Prayer is not merely seeking answers to questions or needs, and effective prayer is not simply the granting of those requests. To limit prayer's effectiveness to getting what we ask for is not to appreciate the depth of its purpose. If all effective prayer means to us is getting what we asked for, we will always question our faith when our requests are not answered as we would desire them. As in the previous verses in James and John, effective prayer is grounded in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It is a spiritual activity that can help us align ourselves with God's will as we put aside our faults and focus on the things that best reflect righteousness in our lives.

Prayer builds our relationship with God, just like our communication with those around us strengthens the relationships we have with them. If all our prayers amount to is the number of times we asked God for things, they have fallen short. Where is the relationship in that? It is too one-sided. However, if we can dive deeper than merely asking for things, then real possibilities can open up. How about using our prayers as opportunities to engage honestly with God about the things we need? Why do those requests mean so much to us? What do we believe we will miss if they are not granted? That level of engagement will allow us to experience a greater openness with God. It gives the Holy Spirit time to sanctify our expectations, reflections, and meditations on what we are asking for and how they will change our lives – for the better or worse.

When prayer is not pursued at this level, we will only see effective prayers as those where our requests were granted. In reality, God not giving us what we asked for is also an answer to prayer. Such refusals are crucial signs that God is at work in our lives, guiding us to the fulfillment of His will – not only in what He provides but also in what He withholds. Unfortunately, we will not be able to process why God's refusals were necessary if we do not approach prayer at the relationship level. We will fail to give God the time for the discussion or an explanation. Sadly, we can revert to falsely accusing God of abandoning us when, in reality, we left the conversation long before He had a chance to speak.

END OF PART TWO. TO BE CONTINUED.

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