Awakening Starts with Prayer

Mark 11:22-25 Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, ‘Go jump in the lake’—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it’s as good as done. That’s why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you’ll get God’s everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it’s not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins.”

I like prayer because it reminds me that we have a relational father. A relational God. I heard once that our view of God is tied so closely with our view of our parents. 

In Chicago I worked with someone who grew up in Cabrini Green- a hard place to experience childhood in the South side of Chicago. He said one of the obstacles for faith initiatives in the inner city is teaching kids about God, the father. Because often, kids have a view of father that is unavailable, totally absent from their life. That makes me sad. 

So I started thinking, what’s my view of God. Is he like the all-knowing dude who creates us, winds us up and then let’s life happen as he hangs out in the clouds. Or he is legalistic where we must do good works to gain his approval. Or is he wise and strong like Gandalf from Lord of the Rings with a long beard? Does God care about a relationship- or just a conversion point? Do I view God as passive? Or active? Or Kind? Or caring? Or available? 

Sometimes I think God might be too busy for me- like there are kids dying of AIDS in Africa and really horrific things going on in the world that break my heart. So my ‘please help me be a better version of myself because sometimes I feel unfixable’ prayer seems a little trite. 

But God is bigger than that. It doesn't matter if the darkness is personal like Paul’s thorn in his side, or my constant need to accept and receive grace, or if it’s global like racism, or the beyond crappy stuff happening in Syria, prayer invites light into dark places. 

One time someone told me to ‘let go and let God.’ 
I had an urge to punch that person because I don’t really know what that means on a practical level- especially when I’m going through a hard time. But I do know that God does powerful things. And I have seen bold prayers move boldly in some of my friends and family. And I have seen light brought to really dark situations in some of the people closest to me. 

At the end of the day I think what we have to offer each other is prayer and relationship.
Mark 11:22-25 punctuates that. 
Following Jesus’ leadership looks like praying boldly for God to do God’s work. 
Awakening starts with prayer.  

Where in your life do you need to experience God’s boldness? What ‘mountains’ need moved in your life? Can you bring those bold prayers to God?

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