“Lord, teach us to pray . . .” – Luke 11:1b
I was looking up some information for a weapon I was interested in buying today. I did what almost everyone in the US does, I grabbed my smart phone, opened a browser, and then I began inquiring my favorite source, Google. According to another search engine (yes, they do exist), Google records about 2 billion search queries a day. 2 billion!! Now we must take into account that Google is not the only search engine, there are hundreds of them online, all created for our convenience to access the answers to any question within a matter of seconds. We live in a time where the ability to obtain the entirety of earthly knowledge is as simple as taking out our smart phone. That can be an amazing thing, but if an answer cannot be found within a time we deem reasonable we decide that it is either not worth finding or that there is no answer and therefore the question itself must be wrong.
I believe that many believers have likened their prayer to some kind of divine search engine. They ask God short vague questions hoping to receive complete and detailed answers with multiple options to choose from in a matter of seconds. When they do not receive these instantaneous answers or they are not brought forth in a format in which is suitable for them, they either decide that God is not going to answer or they quit praying all together because they do not see the point.
In case you didn’t know, God is not Wikipedia. He does not jump to answer our every question or at least not the way we would like for Him to. The answers that are given are done so according to His timing and His will. I am the first to admit that I am completely guilty of this. I have often times rushed prayers that ought to have been reinforced with much scriptural meditation and fasting. Instead, I have asked in the hopes that God would just throw the answer right in my lap at that very moment. I have been guilty of thinking of Him as merely a divine genie, there to fill all my desires.
Today I challenge you not to structure your prayer life as just another search engine. I challenge you to set aside a block of time to have a meaningful conversation with our God. Thank Him for all the blessings you have in your life. Call on His help in areas that you are feeling weak, sad or lonely. Ask Him to grant you patience and wisdom while waiting to receive His answer. When dealing with earthly matters, ask Him to make known the areas in your life that you can improve on to help build His kingdom. Ask Him to forgive you when you have let Him down. After that, just take a few moments with your eyes closed, preferably on your knees and just listen, wait, and enjoy this meaningful conversation. You may not hear a word, but you will surely feel his peace.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. – Psalm 107:28-30
