In the past week, three separate episodes seem to be teaching me the same lesson about prayer. Last Sunday I heard the testimony (click to download audio file) of a friend who's been battling cancer for 3 years. He asked why God doesn't just answer all the prayers of His children and save them from suffering, illnesses, mishaps .... He asked again,"What kind of Christians would we become if God were to conveniently answer all those prayers?"
On another occasion, a non-Christian friend perceptively observed and commented after a fellowship meeting, "Why are the prayers of Christians so self-centered - health, job, roommate, etc.? What happened to the prayer that Jesus taught us - to pray for God's will be done & for us forgiving others as God forgives us ..." (now, Christians, let's not get defensive already ...)
This morning, I read from Dr. Lin's book: "什至祈禱,若僅為自己利益而不為主和祂的國度,仍算是罪." (The act of praying, if it's done merely for one's own gain rather than for the Lord and His Kingdom, it's also considered a sin.) 1 The problem is not that we pray for our need, as Jesus taught us to pray for "our daily bread" and for delivery from the evil one, but that we are totally consumed with our "selves" - 僅為 (merely for) 自己利益 (one's own gain). Even tho' a lot of times this mentality of self-centeredness manifests itself under spiritual guise, it still opposes Jesus' teaching "to deny yourself and follow me" (Luke 9:24-25).
Something to ponder over.
5 comments:
Thanks for sharing! You as well as your non-Christian friend reminded me a lot!
Foon,
Thanks for referring to this on your blog. I still don't know how to leave comment there!
Awareness, awareness, awareness -- that's the first step to curb self-centeredness, even as it cunningly camouflages itself in various aspects of our lives.
To comment on ah Foon's blog, you have to register for a Yahoo! HK a/c (I have a Yahoo! China a/c but won't work for HK's), then start a blog (even a blank one), then you can comment on hers. This is something I'm tired of doing. That's why I still stick to Blogger.
It reminds me of Matthew 6:33. Only when we first seek His kingdom do we truly know how to pray for and face our own needs.
Yes, not desiring our own needs met, but accomplishing what matters most!
hi my,
you made it. welcome to my blog and thanks for commenting. you're right - it's just as Mt. 6:33 says.
This blog entry was in the back of my mind as i prayed for a family emergency in the past week. i really said "amen" to "Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." "Give us our daily bread" comes after, and I trust that God would gladly and richly provide for our needs.
Praying The Lord's Prayer also helped elevating my thought of my current situation. PTL.
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