Turning Points
March 3rd, 2010Have you ever noticed that the hardest times to pray are often when we need to do so the most? Amidst rising doubts, nagging hurts and busy schedules we too easily lose the will to come to God in prayer.
There could be several reasons for this tendency. Sometimes prayer is undesirable because it forces us to face pain in our lives from which we would rather escape. Approaching God in honest prayer requires time and persistence that we at times feel unable to give. There are times where our hearts are so full of doubt that it is hard to imagine what good prayer would do. Self-reliance often convinces us to put our heads down and charge through difficulties on our own, without regard for God.
Martin Luther used to spend ah hour each morning in prayer. One particularly busy morning his assistant suggested that maybe they should shorten their time of prayer for the day. Luther replied that because they were so busy that day they should pray for three hours instead. Often what we need to do the most is what we feel least inclined to do. Rather than pushing us away from God doubts and pains should stimulate a renewed drive to spend time with him in prayer.
Sometimes we avoid prayer because we want to stay mad about our life situation. Lifting our hearts to God in prayer would suggest that we are ready to let go of our anger and this is not always the case. Yet, it is in coming to God through honest prayer where we reach our turning points.
Picture Asaph in Psalms 73. He has looked around him and observed a troubling scene. Those who don’t love God are making plenty of money and leading apparently happy lives while those who try to live for God don’t seem to derive any special benefit. Asaph becomes so bothered by what he finds that he is tempted to slip away from what he believes. The turning point emerges when Asaph enters God’s house, despite his inclinations to run in the opposite direction. In God’s presence he rediscovers the truth that turns his situation away around.
During a recent weekend I found myself quite frustrated with my circumstances. Prayer was the farthest thing from my mind. When I finally gave in and expressed myself to God in prayer, the cloud over my heart began to lift so that I could enjoy the moment again. I later recognized that the turning point came when I prayed, expressing my frustration to God.
Let’s learn from Asaph that when we are most tempted not to pray is when we need to do so the most. No matter how we may feel about it, moving toward God in prayer can change us and open our hearts to the turning points that he desires to bring to our situations.