OK, so off to a good start. One day, one post. Can I keep this up? I hope so! I know I’ll feel richer for it at the end and hopefully some of you reading will to. Spending a little while each day focusing on who God is certainly can’t do any harm…
So, where to start. It’s all very well saying 40 posts on 40 days, but that also requires 40 lots of inspiration as well as being aware of and sensitive to what’s going on around the world. I am not a trained theologian, nor the perfect Christian, so I hope you can forgive me when I get it wrong.
The place to start is always, to me, in prayer. Prayer is an act of humility, admiting we need help. It is an act of worship, acknowledging God’s power. It is an act of vulnerability, being completely open and honest about ourselves, our concerns and our weaknesses, whatever they may be.
But still, where to start? At times I have found myself without the words to pray, so overwhelmed by what’s around me either big world problems or personal problems that can seem huge (although in the grand scheme of things are probably relatively minor…)
Max Lucado tells a story in one of his many books (can’t recall which one, but he’s a fab writer so I recommend them all!) of his daughter performing a piano piece in a recital and forgetting the music part way through. She eventually got to the end of the piece, but the mistake had been made. Her parents rushed to meet her She threw her arms around her dad and buried her head in his shirt. “Oh Daddy!”
That’s where to start. When disappointment hits. “Oh Daddy!” When things are out of control. “Oh Daddy!” When we feel isolated and alone. “Oh Daddy!” When our feelings are overwhelming and confusing. “Oh Daddy!” And when we feel helpless. “Oh Daddy!”
That’s how prayer starts- by calling out to the one who is listening. What follows, whether it be words, emotions or tears, whether it be audible or silent, will be heard and accepted as a prayer. We just need to take that first step and start the conversation.
“Oh Daddy!”
Philippians 4: 6-7 states ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but it every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’
What happens when we dare to admit we don’t have the answers, that we’re not OK, that there’s a situation (or two) that we can’t handle on our own? “Oh Daddy!”
I once heard someone say that prayer was a cop out, that sometimes God needs help. I strongly disagree. We need help. God doesn’t. A friend sent me the following picture a couple of days ago
God doesn’t need help. But he chooses to listen. “Oh Daddy!”
A few years ago I came across a quote from Jim Graham which is an encouragement to pray. And on the first day of lent, at the start of the journey to Easter, I will stop and pray. I will lay down all those things that are running through my mind, all those concerns for things I can’t fix, all those situations that seem hopeless right now. I will give them to God in prayer, as the bible says, and I will find peace.
“Oh Daddy!”
The Reason for my Hope Blog 