I've been praying a lot for some very close friends recently. There seem to be so many things going on at once with various people and I find myself asking God to carry the burdens which are just too heavy for the rest of us. Sometimes I find myself saying, "There's nothing we can do but pray..." and I get frustrated by that. Prayer is one of the most productive things you can do and saying that makes it seem like a last resort. What better to do than to bring the problem to the almighty creator of heaven and earth? However, I do understand that in a time of crisis we like to be able to 'do' something practical to help. When my friends present a problem and I'm not sure how to help sometimes it's best to just ask, "Is there anything I can do?". However, I struggle when it comes to non-christian friends. When there's nothing practical to be done, and we can only pray for them, how do we present them with any hope? Though they may doubt it at times, Christians will most likely understand that God has a plan and a purpose for them and that He will not let them carry more than they can handle; but with our non-christian friends how do we offer any kind of hope or solice in desperate times? Sometimes I tell them that I am praying for them but does this help? Is it a comfort? If they don't believe in God, much less the power of prayer, I suspect it doesn't. So how do we help? How do we really show that care and compassion in our outreach? How do we convey that we are doing the best thing that we know we can do, when their own beliefs may be a barrier to them understanding what we mean? More questions than answers I'm afraid. I confess that I am neither confident or consistent when it comes to praying but deep down I know that doesn't matter. When it comes to my friends I pray with honesty and hope because I want to see God moving in their lives. I just wish that people could understand more clearly the love and compassion that goes in to prayer and that, although to them it might not seem like much, some times it really is the best I can do.
Thursday, 13 March 2008
Hope and Prayer in Troubled Times
I've been praying a lot for some very close friends recently. There seem to be so many things going on at once with various people and I find myself asking God to carry the burdens which are just too heavy for the rest of us. Sometimes I find myself saying, "There's nothing we can do but pray..." and I get frustrated by that. Prayer is one of the most productive things you can do and saying that makes it seem like a last resort. What better to do than to bring the problem to the almighty creator of heaven and earth? However, I do understand that in a time of crisis we like to be able to 'do' something practical to help. When my friends present a problem and I'm not sure how to help sometimes it's best to just ask, "Is there anything I can do?". However, I struggle when it comes to non-christian friends. When there's nothing practical to be done, and we can only pray for them, how do we present them with any hope? Though they may doubt it at times, Christians will most likely understand that God has a plan and a purpose for them and that He will not let them carry more than they can handle; but with our non-christian friends how do we offer any kind of hope or solice in desperate times? Sometimes I tell them that I am praying for them but does this help? Is it a comfort? If they don't believe in God, much less the power of prayer, I suspect it doesn't. So how do we help? How do we really show that care and compassion in our outreach? How do we convey that we are doing the best thing that we know we can do, when their own beliefs may be a barrier to them understanding what we mean? More questions than answers I'm afraid. I confess that I am neither confident or consistent when it comes to praying but deep down I know that doesn't matter. When it comes to my friends I pray with honesty and hope because I want to see God moving in their lives. I just wish that people could understand more clearly the love and compassion that goes in to prayer and that, although to them it might not seem like much, some times it really is the best I can do.
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2 comments:
Sometimes I think all we can do is be there for someone. Sometimes we don't have to say anything. Our very presence can indicate a deep love and concern. The way we treat people in our everyday living may also depend on how they respond to us and our offers of support and prayer in times of difficulty. Kepp praying and living for Jesus. Mxx
Thanks Auntie M - words of wisdom indeed. =)
ps: You're lucky you escaped before the kids arrived tonight. They were wild!
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