THE TENSION WE HAVE

There is tension that sometimes seems, to me, to be overwhelmingly real with respect to prayer and when we do not get what we ask for. By tension, I mean 'a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense.'  We wonder and we become uneasy. No wonder the apostle Paul more often than not started his letters with 'Grace and peace to you... '. We need peace and God knows we do! Upon giving a caution and recommending constant prayer, Paul the apostle in the seventh verse of his epistle to the Philippians categorically adds ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’  As God's sons and daughters it is natural for us to always expect to receive what we ask for (Math 7:7-11; John 16:23-27). That’s what Jesus tells us in the two verses.  We sincerely believe and we ask what we need in faith (James 1:6). But our faith and will is subservient to and governed by God’s Sovereignty and Will.

There were times when I wrestled with whether it depends on us for us to receive from God or it depends on God himself. At some point I also struggled with the thought that maybe He considers my sins and since I fail him He is justified in not giving me when I pray for something. After all I am a "worm" of a son!

But God is above that. He was above that when He chose/elected us unto salvation and committed His love to us in and through Jesus Christ for eternity (Jer 31:3 Eph 1:4-6) in spite of our sinfulness. If it depended on us to give unto men or receive from God: it would be disaster! Prayer ought to primarily focus or centre on God. And in His wise counsel and Sovereign Will, God our Father gives or withholds as He please for our good (Rom 8:28). For some strange reason, we fail to understand and/or accept this especially in our agony and desperation! We are too expectant perhaps and we hardly think of the fact that our thoughts, plans and ways are lower than God's. The tension is real, inwardly or overtly. Our patience, humility and trust in God are all tried and tested. But we often want to think of and/or treat God like He is some "Mr Nice" or jinnee who is at our whimsical disposal to always immediately do for us what ask or a force that is at our beck and call. If that's our attitude, it is wrong and we may actually feel that God has failed us, that He is not fair or doesn't care, doesn't hear or hasn't heard our prayer(s). We hardly even weigh or consider our motives! The apostle James in effect says we should (James 4:3).

Let's not be lopsided people! It's nice to expect good things and positive answers or responses but that's not all there is, and God in His wisdom and grace does answer in the negative too. For our growth, maturity and blessing He can send affliction or make us pass through the valley; our Father knows best! For our humbling and obedience He may show us starkly our horrible weakness(es) and open us to sore temptation in order to magnify His grace, instead of the courage and/or showers of blessing we would have been praying for. Would you fathom all that to be actually blessings in disguise or what indeed the Lord thinks is best for you at the time? Oh no, the temptation or way out of your tension is to either question God with your angry face into the sky, as though you were looking at Him; or beat yourself up in doubt of Him. You can’t believe that you didn’t receive/get; you can hardly believe that those things are happening to you! You would be wondering 'how come' you or why you! And why not you? Yet, as Chris Tomlin has sung, God is 'a good, good Father' and we are loved by Him. So it baffles us, the tension is alive and it could be eating us in our consciousness.

How often do we rejoice and praise God in our weaknesses and adverse situations? We ought to always rejoice (Philip 4:4) and give thanks in ALL circumstances (1 Thess 5:18) and we will know peace. Over the past few years I have come to grips with the fact that our God is not a God of wastage. Like the apostle Paul, it would be best if we can learn in whatever situation we are to be content; if we can know how to be brought low, and know how to abound; in any and every circumstance, to learn the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need (Philip 4:11-12). Somehow I think that because we don't ordinarily pray for the adverse things, God sends them anyway! Obviously for a good purpose. In fact you should give yourself the benefit of doubt that they have come because of sin, or at least because you're a sinner! Remember Job's rebuke to his wife: "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" Let's also learn to sit in silence and meditation; learn to ask the right sort of questions that even baffles the Devil! Like, what lessons God would be teaching us, what virtues He would be nurturing in us or the dross he would be consuming. We ought to always self-examine. Let’s have a fresh view of and an unveiled look at God and prayer and our expectations. We may consequently have less or no tension. And only God can show us how to lay the tension down or aside. Grace and peace to you!