I was reminded yesterday (and through our time at Conversation Café on Wednesday nights) what a blessing it is to sit down with people and wrestle with tough questions. Deep life questions. Questions that are way beyond our understanding, yet worth absorbing various perspectives on. Not because it means we'll discover all the right answers and have everything figured out, but because it means our hearts are open to the growth and challenging of our faith.
Some questions from study time this last week...
What is God’s system for answering prayer? Obviously He can't answer everyone's request as they wish or everything would be a complete mess. What about when two faithful people pray for the same thing, and those prayers contradict each other?
Does God get frustrated when we ask for/think we need petty things when He can see a much bigger picture? How do we reconcile a God who gives and takes at will, yet wants us to be able to make choices freely?
Do we limit God when we pray for something specific over and over, so adamantly (and naively) thinking that one answered prayer will ‘make us more in tune with’ Our Father if He'd just grant what we ask?
Since God created everything and set the world in motion… since He is omniscient and knows the choices we will make… how is it that at times God can ‘change his mind’ due to our prayers? (Consider Moses: God tells Moses he will speak to Pharoah, etc. Moses asks God to send someone else. God says no. Moses pleads and gives excuses and asks again. God eventually sends Aaron to speak for Moses. So did God let that entire diatribe play out in order to further develop his relationship with Moses, or was Moses able to ‘change God’s mind’?)
Is prayer about changing us or changing what's happening around us? Does it stand to reason that a disciplined prayer life would cause us to be more aware and focused on other people and their needs and less concerned with ourselves?
Loaded, yes? But I like to think that God smiles down on his people as they discuss and wrestle with difficult things, as they seek to know Him more. I’m sure our thoughts and prayers are incredibly humorous to Him on some level. Don't you know He sometimes shakes His head at the ridiculous words we direct to Him?!
I do know that when we gather together and seek to know our Creator better, blessing occurs. And at the end of the day, we just have to know that God is God. He is in control, He knows all. He is loving and compassionate, even during those moments when we doubt that. God is good. He sees the big picture. And He desperately desires His people to be in relationship with Him. I think I need to work on that part quite a bit more. You?
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