This is the night you have been waiting for. For weeks...months even. Tonight you will have a date night with your much neglected hubby. The doting grandmother has offered to watch your little one for the night. You have fixed your hair and your makeup is on point. The unwashed for days pony tail is no where to be seen and you are wearing actual makeup. Not just Chapstick and flushed cheeks. You got out those super fashionable heels that normally you cannot balance yourself in because of the toddler on your hip and the diaper bag that makes your self feel as though you are the leaning tower of Pisa. Tonight you will have real conversation with your husband that you haven't had in so long (okay, in actuality it usually ends up being all about the kids and the cute artwork they brought home or how much they have grown, which always brings me to tears and makes me wish I hadn't decided to go out without her in the first place!) Nonetheless, it is a much anticipated night out and you have looked forward to it for days. As you are packing the last pair of socks and stuffing the bunny rabbit they can't sleep without, you hear...."Mommmmy?" You know that tone isn't a good one. You make your way down the hall and see your child standing in a puddle of the lunch they ate earlier. You go ahead and take off the heels, pull your hair back up into a pony tail and begin the task of cleaning the carpet. Your plans have changed. Instead of the date you looked so forward to, you have a date with your daughter watching Doc McStuffins, jumping at the first sound of eruption, and sprinting a child off to the toilet every 30 minutes. By the end of the night, you reek of vomit, are eating a delectable one course meal consisting of a peanut butter sandwich and apple juice, while listening to the hubby snore away in bed. Your plan changed. I love plans and planning ahead. We have all experienced a change of plans whether good or bad.
Tonight's bible study on Prayer was about the responsibility of prayer. The question that began the study was "When we pray are we changing the plan of God?" I had never thought of this but it discussed how many skeptics of Christianity elude to this question. Why pray when God already has a plan and ordains all that happens? Scripture however seems to present God's plan as being outworked and furthered by his praying people. Acts 12 discusses the Church and the issue of Peter being imprisoned. The church gathered and prayed without ceasing and while they prayed an angel appeared and helped Peter to free himself from the prison.
The church took the responsibility of praying for Peter, and in doing so God answered. Why should we pray if God already has a plan? Because he commands us to pray. First Samuel 12:23 presents not praying as sin. We should approach the throne of God boldly (Hebrews 4:16). Prayer is not just a privilege that we are bestowed but a responsibility as Christians.
Praying and taking responsibility to pray for others in the midst of our own challenges, helps us to grow spiritually mature and enables us to become beneficiaries. Why pray for others in need? Because it is our command and responsibility.
Who should we pray for? Everyone! Not just the sick and afflicted but God tells us in Matthew 5 and Luke 6 to pray even for our enemies and those who curse or use us. That's a tough one to swallow. Pray for those who have done me wrong? That's what Jesus says...after all, some of those verses are in red!
Tonight's study helped me to realize I'm not only privileged to pray my hearts needs but also responsible for praying for other people as well. Can God's master plan change? Maybe not...but God will give us the desires of our heart. He will alter his plan as he sees fit. He will listen to our conversations with him and consider them as he did the church in Acts 12.
Pray without ceasing. Pray with responsibility. Pray and know that God hears us.