Prayer
How do we build this relationship with God? How do we begin to come under His care and protection? The answer is by
prayer. The Apostle James tells us "draw nigh to God. And he will draw nigh to you" ( James 4.8). The apostle Paul emphasizes this teaching "Pray without ceasing" (1Thes 5.17). As already mentioned , God is very near to us for in him we live and move and have our being. But why should we pray to God? Again, the Bible is filled with recorded incidents of men and women who turned to God to help them in their hour of need. There were many things in their lives that they could not control. They needed care and protection. So they turned to God in prayer to help them deal with those parts of their lives that were out of their control.
There are numerous examples in the Bible that illustrate the response of God to meet the needs of individuals who were experiencing anxiety and worry. It is a Biblical theme designed to teach the interconnection that exists between God and man. Let us take for an example Hannah. She was married to Elkanah who had two wives. The name of the other wife was Peninnah. Now Hannah’s dilemma was that she could not have children while Peninnah could. Unfortunately, Peninnah made it her business to make Hannah feel inferior because she was childless. This distressed Hannah greatly, especially as time passed with no change in her situation. In fact if you look up this recorded incident in 1 Samuel ch1, the Bible states that God had "shut up her womb" (i.e. not allowed her to have children).
When the anguish became so great, Hannah exercised the only option she knew and that was to pray to God. She was making a special prayer at the temple in Shiloh when the priest, Eli, saw her speaking to herself. Initially he thought she was drunk . He didn’t realize that she was praying.
When she explained what she was doing, he understood her sadness and told her to leave in peace as he would ask God on her behalf to grant her the request she was making of God . This she did and in the course of time she became pregnant and had a son who she named Samuel. This child was to become a famous spiritual leader in Israel when he grew up.
There are many lessons for us in this account but the one that we particularly note is the answering of prayer . Every human being faces uncertainty; God has designed life in such a way as to have uncertainty, so that we will realize our dependence upon Him.
Is Prayer Relevant Today?
The question that many people will ask is, Are prayers answered? It is exciting for us as believers to know He can answer our prayers. It has been proven time and again by those who put there trust in God. These are real events happening to real people. the elements. The thing that baffles those who doubt, is that prayers are answered very naturally. It doesn’t appear extraordinary to us who pray when we need help and find events coming together to address our specific problem. We are completely convinced because of the very personal and specific nature of the help we receive. It is the timing that also makes it more than coincidence. It gives believers great assurance and a sense of peace and inner confidence after witnessing such occurrences in their lives.
Responsibility and Commitment
Is all this care and protection from God just for our own benefit? Do we accept all this support and not feel some sense of obligation and responsibility?
Consider some words of the psalmist: "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither by thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good ; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verity thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass".(Psalm 37.1-5)
As we read such passages, it is very clear that God is teaching us to be righteous, to turn aside from sin and evil. We observe the reference to "Commit thy way unto the LORD"; To encourage us, He gives us the things we need, but in return He wants us to transform our lives. Consider the words of the Apostle Paul to the believers in Rome: "And be not conformed to this world : but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12.2)
As we observe very carefully how God answers our prayers, we see the corrective component as well. After all, no one is perfect . Again, the skilful manner in which our weaknesses are exposed by events and circumstances reinforces the knowledge that is working with us to produce a better person. It is beyond coincidence that we are being shaped and fashioned by the Creator’s hand who is looking after our ultimate wellbeing . If we allow this process to take place, if we allow God to shape us, we become a truly beautiful product of God ‘s creation! This is what is meant by spiritual maturity.
Spiritual Maturity
What the Bible message is clearly saying to us is that God our Creator wants us to trust in Him. We initiate relationship by prayer and He responds, but we must be sincere. He will take care of our worries and anxieties if we put our trust in Him and allow Him to lead us. As we have mentioned earlier, He has designed our world this way. This is a law of the universe. It is certain and reliable. It is like a hidden secret waiting to be discovered. The uncertainty in our lives is obvious as we look into the future, whether it be later today, next week or next month. It is how God has created this world to cause us to realize our dependence and need of Him . The Lord Jesus is very definite about this relationship, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, or reap, or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them . Are you not much more valuable than they" (Mat 6:26 NIV) Jesus concludes his teaching in this chapter with the assurance: "do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself" (Mat 6:34) This is the life philosophy that God and His son Jesus want us to have .Put our trust in God and He will provide.
This is the message that is consistently portrayed throughout the Bible. In the example of Hannah, we see her spiritual connection to God strengthened by her experience. Can we not all identify with these similar needs today ? The answer is, Yes and it is within our power to act and receive. The Bible invites us to build our livese around God. There is much to learn
Bro Godwin Mugasi (Mbarara, Uganda)
