Devotions Archive Archive: 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 Search Archive Print This Article Wiseprayer Tuesday, March 15, 2011 Matthew 6:7-8 (The Message translation) Jesus said, "The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. In fact, Paul says sometimes words even get in the way. "The whole creation groans as in the pains of childbirth ... and we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait ... the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans" (Romans 8). We do not know what we should pray for, Paul points out. But "he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, and the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God." Just to catch the edges of this kind of synergy changes everything. But we are not on the edge: we are in the center of God's love, and understanding, and plans. That changes everything for everything else: "The creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God ... the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay (entropy) and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." I look out at the robins pecking in our brown soon-to-be-green grass. They wait in eager expectation. God is happy to hear my simple requests; he also knows far more about what I really want than I do. To approach him wordlessly, in awe, seems like a darn good thing to do right now. Once on television I saw a man talk about how he learned to stop yelling and calling his family nasty names during angry outbursts. He always regretted what he said but had trouble getting duct tape on his mouth soon enough. So he learned to Growl. His mouth was open, but his words didn't get in the way. Rrrhhgghh! Hard to spell, not a word exactly. More like a groan. Father, you are preparing a feast for the robins and for me. The smells in the kitchen make my mouth water. Thank you for shutting me up sometimes and refilling my mouth and mind with praise. "; Add      Edit    Delete