PRAYER: Goodbook 03-07-12

Thanks for being patient with me while my family and I are in a time of transition. While I was taking a break from posting Goodbook messages, one of the members of this group shared some of their own messages of inspiration. They have been reading along with our Advanced Track readings and have been sharing reactions and thoughts that emerge from the readings.

I want to share with you a snippet of one of these messages. It is a lesson learned about prayer from 1 Samuel. I'll include their quote and then add another lesson about prayer I've learned from 1 Samuel.

"A thought for today from Samuel 3:9 Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. So often we are asking God and 'talking' to 'tell' him what we want - What if we took the time to listen to what God has to say and where he thinks we might be best served - I try to start each day by asking Him to guide me to let me know where I am needed that day - so... let's take the time to listen..."

Amen!  In case you haven’t been reading along with us, a priest named Eli taught this prayer opening to a little boy named Samuel.  On the other end of the spectrum, Samuel’s mom taught me a lesson about asking. 

When we pray, we often ask God for things – for safety, for help, for provision, for blessings, for care, etc.  This is a good thing.  God wants to hear from us and cares deeply about our situations.  But Samuel’s mom challenged me to think about my motive for asking.  Is my asking about me – my wants, my needs, my desires, and my agenda?  Or is my asking about God and what would further God’s mission in this world.

If you are not familiar with the story, Hannah was unable to have children.  She prayed to God asking for a child.  However, her asking was not so much for herself as it was about God.  Notice what she prayed, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant and give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life…” (1 Samuel 1:11).

What an amazing prayer.  She asked God for something so she could have something to give back to God.  She asked for a son so that she could give him back to God.  Hannah could have asked for a son for herself and for her family.  But her heart desired to glorify God and serve God.  Her asking was based on a desire to give more to glorify God and further God’s ministry.

When I ask God for something, I don’t want it to spring from a selfish desire.  I want my prayers to spring from a desire to give God more and be able to do more to further God’s mission in the world.  God hears and answers prayers like this in miraculous ways.  Hannah conceived a child.  She named him Samuel (meaning “God has heard”) and dedicated him to serve with the priests.  Samuel went on to have a powerful ministry with the people of Israel.

1)      Consider what you ask God for and the motives behind your asking.

2)      When we ask God for things, may our prayers spring from a desire to give God more and be able to do more to further God’s mission in the world.

Advanced Track reading: 2 Samuel 1-4; Psalm 6, 8-10, 14, 16

Share your comments, questions, ideas, and stories…