" If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
The group Mercy Me, recently released a song called "Even if" based on this verse. Listening to it, I wonder if we have lost the perspective these three teenage boys had as they stood before King Nebuchadnezzar.
So many of us fall away because we feel our prayers have gone unanswered, simply because the answer is no. Jesus himself, prayed that He could avoid the cross. His prayer was so intense that He sweated blood, but thankfully for us, the answer was still "no", and His final comment was,..."not My will, but Yours".
Does that describe your prayer life? Do you come to God with questions ... or with answers?... Even when the intensity of our prayer feels like we will sweat blood ... do we remember who you are talking to?
Our prayer life becomes worship when "in Jesus' name" means what it is supposed to mean. Too often it becomes a magic incantation, a rubbing of the lamp so the Genie will produce what we want, and that pollutes our prayer life and makes it something it was never intended to be.
I remember as a child, the relief that would wash over me when I could finally tell my Dad about whatever problem I was facing. Then I could relax. I put it in his hands, and knew he would handle it properly. Do I have that kind of confidence in God? Does relief flood my soul when I speak to my Heavenly Father?
If we can remember that we are speaking to The All Powerful God Of The Universe. And also remember that He loves us beyond our ability to comprehend. We can make prayer what it was intended to be ... the ultimate spiritual pre-workout . We should rise from our knees energized, confident, and at peace.
This verse is not an escape clause to release God of responsibility in case He cannot deliver.
He can. He is able, He is all knowing, and He answers prayer.
...But even if the answer is not what we asked for ... our hope, our confidence, and our salvation... remains steadfastly in Him.
“Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.”
― Mother Teresa
No comments:
Post a Comment