I
was reading an article about
unanswered prayers. In that article, the author attempts to suggest some
reasons why prayers remain unanswered, and how we should pray in order for our
prayers to get answered. The author cites the Lord’s Prayer and attempts to
distill some principles from it as a model. One key principle the author claims
is that we should hallow God in our prayers, otherwise we will be praying
self-centered prayers, and that may be the reason why a person’s prayers does
not get answered. The author cites the passage of James 4:2-3 where James
writes in his epistle to his audience that even when they ask, they do not
receive because they ask with wrong motives. The author makes the point that
even seemingly godly prayers like the author’s own asking for God to change his
children could be self-centered in nature as it does not focus on the kingdom
of God.
I
have mixed feelings when reading the article. On the one hand, I am desperate
for God to answer my prayers, especially with regards to physical healing of
some of my chronic illnesses. Thus, I just hope to apply whatever the author is
recommending so that God will answer my prayers for healing. I figure also that
it couldn’t hurt to focus more on the aspect of hallowing God when I pray. I
believe that I do indeed try to hallow God’s name when I pray. I would ask God
to heal me because I believe that he is an all-powerful, merciful, and loving
God. But perhaps I might have left out the part about asking for God’s kingdom
to come, and that his will be done, or something like that. If praying that
would make my prayer more effective, I would certainly do it.
On
the other hand, I can’t help but feel that this suggestion of having to pray
for God’s kingdom or otherwise my prayers are self-centered is legalistic and
artificial. I hope I am not being overly-cynical, but it sounds to me that God
is scrutinizing my prayers such that if I don’t add a particular phrase or
clause, he will foul me and not consider my prayer requests. It doesn’t matter
whether my prayers are heartfelt, or sincere, or whether I am pleading with God
most earnestly, because if I haven’t hallowed God’s name, or asked for his will
or kingdom to come, I am being self-centered in my prayers.
Personally,
I have a different conception of how God is like, or how I think he should be.
I conceive of God as loving and sympathetic to our needs, and even our desires.
I like the idea in the bible of how we should think of God as our Father, and
we his children. Some of the bible passages I favor about prayer are those like
Matthew 7:9-11 where Jesus was
telling his audience that just as we as human parents know how to give good
things to our children, so much so will God, the Father give good things to
those who ask of him. As such, rather than a legalistic God who would make such
demands on the way we pray, I would believe that God is keener on trying to
meet our prayer requests for our needs, even if they may be self-interested (or
more negatively put, “self-centered”). I can accept the
point about how God desires that we as Christians should want to advance God’s
kingdom and do his will, but I am quite adverse towards the idea that I must
have such desires first before God will consider meeting my needs. And to be
honest, I often don’t feel that the advancement of God’s kingdom or doing his
will is at the topmost of my mind. I don’t even feel like praying for this
actually, because the concerns for my own needs or wants can be pretty
overwhelming. It can seem forced for me to have to conform to this idea that I
have to do those, so that God will answer my prayers.
Perhaps
I might be overly-cynical by saying that the God that the author describes is
legalistic and demanding. I know the author means well with his article, but
this are my thoughts about it at the moment.
3 comments:
Hi Sam! I was thinking some about this issue because I recently read a book that touched on it.
I believe that God wants to move us in the direction of thinking about him and others. The reason that this is not legalistic is that it is concerned more with character formation rather than obeying rules, or saying the right phrases in prayer to get God to answer. It is in light of that principle that I interpret the James passage----why would God grant a request, if the person is going to use what he gets on his own lusts, anyway?
But I also believe that God is compassionate----and that God heals us because he loves us, not primarily to enroll us in his community service projects. At the same time, God in healing us does want to make us more aware of who he is and what he is like, and that relates to what God is doing in the world.
Those are just my thought. They, like any other thought, probably shouldn't be treated as absolute!
Starting a few days ago, I have been praying for God to heal you of your headaches, and for God to bless you. I'm making it a standing part of my prayer.
Thanks for the additional perspective James. The part about God being concerned with character formation is a good reminder for me as a Christian. Part of my reflection about my own suffering from a Christian perspective is that God is using it as a way to improve my character. I wish that God would just heal me of my illnesses after I have become sufficiently reformed in my character, but perhaps, God may think that true character reformation means that I wouldn't be so hard up for healing even if God doesn't provide for it. I do read of sufferers who have seemingly obtained that sense of peace and are not hard up for healing even though they continue to suffer, and I feel that God wants me to be like that. For now, I am still hard up for healing, and I hope that God would grant me that rather than desire that I am reformed in my character so that I can be happy even without healing.
Thanks for making me a part of your regular prayers. I do appreciate it, since I feel sometimes that God is not listening to my prayers, but will listen to the prayers of another person who is of closer standing with him. I know that this may sound silly to some Christians, who would rebuke me for thinking like that, but I guess it would have given me a certain satisfaction if those Christians would pray for me rather than simply rebuke me.
Btw, just wanted to say that I read your blog regularly, and it gives me motivation to write on my own blog as well. It is actually my favorite blog to read, since it relates to some of the struggles that I go through in life, such as my social difficulties, and provides some perspective about it. One thing that particular sticks out to me from reading your blog is your issue with forgiveness, since you mention it alot. It probably something that concerns you as much as what my suffering is for me. Whilst I have some difficulties praying for others in my prayers, because of my disillusion with God, I shall try to pray for you as well on this issue.
One more thing. I really liked the stuff you shared on facebook last time. I have followed some of the blogs and people whose post you shared, because I think they add another dimension to the Christian religion and to matters of spirituality in general which I don't often hear in my own Christian community. It's a pity you deleted your facebook account.
I may start it back up again, sometime.
I do appreciate you praying for my forgiveness issues. I doubt that I have closer standing with God than you do, but I do know that it is helpful when someone else is praying for a person. I'm not sure if that means that God is more likely to listen, but it does create a sense of solidarity.
I'm not sure if I want to go so far as to say that your tension headaches are God's way of teaching you character. I do believe that suffering can contribute to character. But some suffering is so bad, that I wonder if God would be going overboard were he causing it to produce character; couldn't he do that through less drastic means? Part of me believes that suffering is just a part of life----believers go through it, unbelievers go through it, etc. What you say about wanting to arrive at a state of not being hard up for healing kind of reminds me of a Buddhist approach to suffering----trying to live at peace with it.
Those are just my rambling thoughts. I doubt that my beliefs are even consistent!
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