Lesson Not Yet Learned
Help us to die to ourselves more and more and more that Your Holy Spirit will have complete freedom to pray through us on behalf of the people You so love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Do you remember this little prayer from the end of last month’s Prayer Nuggets? It seems that I still need reminding, not only that I prayed this, but that God heard and is still working this in me. Many thought-provoking questions were asked in the previous issue, but at least one was left out that He has now brought to my attention in a very practical way. When He makes me aware of a prayer need, first of all, will I pray at all? If so, will I pray from my heart of flesh, or from the heart of my heavenly Father?
What brought this back to me was a recent news story concerning a man from North Carolina who went to Spain for the annual Running of the Bulls festivities. He participated in the adventure wherein many people dress in white and get into a bullfighting ring with three “less harmful” cows and begin waving their red hankies around to taunt them. According to the story, this man was injured by the cows and is now paralyzed. Did I respond to the story with prayer, entreating the Lord in favor of this man? Actually, I did think about the need for prayer, but then gave in to my opinion of the people who take part in this annual drill, considering them all idiots. What I didn’t say, but thought, was that the man got what he deserved. And that’s where I left it. Until, that is, I saw an update on the story saying the man had actually gotten worse. Only then did I begin to respond to the nudging of the Holy Spirit to pray for him. I recognized immediately, however, that my heart was not right at all about it, because I was still judging him for putting himself in harm’s way and getting harmed. Somehow, I completely forgot about the last part of the prayer from last month about praying on behalf of the people He so loves. Pride and arrogance are so ugly!
The Lord quickly reminded me that it’s not because of our deserving anything that Jesus suffered for us and interceded with His life, as well as His prayers, but because of His love for us. I was reminded also of John 10:10, which says that the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. He doesn’t care how he kills or destroys, or even who – just that he does. He’s certainly willing to use a deadly tradition like the one in Spain to accomplish his purposes, drawing daredevils (ever thought about that word before?) from all over the world. I’m not to pray for this man on the basis of his actions, but from the higher place of the Spirit, battling for his life and against the real enemy. Jesus came that we all may have life and have it more abundantly. This includes all the people that the Father loves, even when I disapprove of their actions!
Think for a moment of the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. The priest and the Levite thought of themselves more than the wounded stranger they passed, so they did nothing. As the Samaritan approached, perhaps he had similar thoughts. That’s just my conjecture. In the end, however, he humbled himself and intervened on behalf of the life of the man, willing to do whatever it took for the man to be made whole again. That is the attitude that I must have when I pray. The life of this person – every person – is precious to the Lord, regardless of what they’ve done. I am to intercede for their complete restoration, spirit, soul, and body – for the fullness of life that Jesus came to give them!
Lamentations 3:21-23 NLT “21 Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: 22 The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day.”
Thank You, Lord, for loving us enough to show us these ugly attitudes, and then patiently working with us so that we can hear Your heartbeat for the people You created, and pray for them as You desire. Our desire is for Your glory to shine more brightly every time we pray. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
© Copyright 2006 Kay V. Stocking
