Jesus did pray for the World, but in this instance from John’s Gospel He focused on the disciples, and accented His purpose. We do offer some prayers to specific burdens. One of my sons-in-law sent to me the following about personal prayer. It is about prayer, not a prayer. As circulated, the lines were entitled, A Beautiful Prayer. We need to be reminded that discussion and learning about prayer are not prayers unless made so. The Lord’s Prayer, appearing in the Sermon on the Mount, is not a prayer, but the model of a prayer. It has been turned into prayer, and that is not to be faulted, unless it is the length and breadth of all of a person’s conversation with God. It is in order that we talk about prayer, as well as pray. Our problem is that we may do neither, or that talking about prayer we feel we have prayed. Prayer talk and thought should lead to reality prayer – talking to, and thinking about, God and his relationship with mankind. The following is prayer talk, response from a person relative to the mystery of prayer thought and spiritual insight.
I asked God to take away my habit. God said: No.
It is not for me to take it away, but for you to give it up.
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. God said: No.
His spirit is whole, his body is temporary.
I asked God to grant me patience. God said: No.
Patience is a byproduct of tribulations, not granted but learned.
I asked God to give me happiness. God said: No.
I give you blessings, the matter of happiness is up to you.
I asked God to spare me pain. God said: No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares, bringing you closer to Me.
I asked God to make my spirit grow. God said: No.
You grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.
I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life. God said: No.
I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.
I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said . . . Ah! -at last you have the idea.
As stimulating and challenging as the above statements are we need to know that often God’s answer is: Yes, I will help you in your habits, in healing your child, in giving patience, in granting happiness, in relieving pain, in advancing growth, and in enjoying all that is given. But all answers to prayer are accompanied in some way by involvement from the person at prayer, and found in amazing grace emanating from God. There is an entering-in experience. We can do so little in the solutions to problems for lack of personal resources, for the fear (and often probability) that we will be seen as interfering and pressing our own views on others that we must go to prayer so as to gain the objectivity needed for problem solving or even for standard approaches to the issues (questions) before us. Prayer is for everything that affects life. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020