September 16: The Divine Region of Religion
(I won't be able to post for the next two days because we will be in Baton Rouge for our niece's wedding. We are not looking forward to all the traffic delays, but at least we don't live there anymore and don't have to stay in it all the time!)
"Prayer is not simply getting things from God, that is a most initial form of prayer; prayer is getting into perfect communion with God."
Chambers points us toward a high calling, but it is a goal not easily attained. After contemplating this reading for quite some time, I'm ashamed to admit that I'm just too selfish to know for sure if my main motive in prayer is to reach perfect communion with God. Even if I pray more for others than myself, what is my real motivation there? Is it really because I am so tuned in to the Spirit's voice that I am responding to His promptings? Perhaps, am I just uncomfortable when I see other people's needs and I primarily want to relieve my own discomfort more than theirs? How much of my motivation comes from wanting to think of myself as a prayer warrior? When I pray for someone everyday, is that doing like Jesus commanded in Luke 18:1-8 or am I using "vain repetitions"?
I don't know.
The only reason that I voiced these self-doubts to all of you is to stress that none of that matters! Regardless of what our motivations, we have no hope of getting into that perfect communion with God unless we keep praying. Fling aside any self-doubts or any other obstacles and KEEP PRAYING! We already knew that we are flawed creatures and will remain so until we get to heaven, so KEEP PRAYING!
Jesus, thank You so much for giving us prayer as a means of talking with (not just to) You. Like little children, we would be lost without Your constant presence. Please clarify our muddled minds and show us how to correctly pray. Bring us to the point where we are constantly "on-line" with You whether we are talking directly to You or not.
"Prayer is not simply getting things from God, that is a most initial form of prayer; prayer is getting into perfect communion with God."
Chambers points us toward a high calling, but it is a goal not easily attained. After contemplating this reading for quite some time, I'm ashamed to admit that I'm just too selfish to know for sure if my main motive in prayer is to reach perfect communion with God. Even if I pray more for others than myself, what is my real motivation there? Is it really because I am so tuned in to the Spirit's voice that I am responding to His promptings? Perhaps, am I just uncomfortable when I see other people's needs and I primarily want to relieve my own discomfort more than theirs? How much of my motivation comes from wanting to think of myself as a prayer warrior? When I pray for someone everyday, is that doing like Jesus commanded in Luke 18:1-8 or am I using "vain repetitions"?
I don't know.
The only reason that I voiced these self-doubts to all of you is to stress that none of that matters! Regardless of what our motivations, we have no hope of getting into that perfect communion with God unless we keep praying. Fling aside any self-doubts or any other obstacles and KEEP PRAYING! We already knew that we are flawed creatures and will remain so until we get to heaven, so KEEP PRAYING!
Jesus, thank You so much for giving us prayer as a means of talking with (not just to) You. Like little children, we would be lost without Your constant presence. Please clarify our muddled minds and show us how to correctly pray. Bring us to the point where we are constantly "on-line" with You whether we are talking directly to You or not.
posted by Jane at 4:30 AM
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