A Little Understanding – Humble Prayer

If you haven’t guessed that I am not a world renowned scientist, a famous architect or a structural engineer, it’s time to clear up any misunderstandings. I am not a world-renowned scientist, a famous architect or a structural engineer nor do I play one on TV…

Even if I had a real PhD or 7, I see no evidence that God is impressed by what I know.

If I pray in an office with wall to wall framed documents showing numerous credentials and accomplishments or pray in a rented one room apartment with shared kitchen and bathing facilities, there is no difference. Jesus had no office or rented room, no PhD or degree, but God His father heard Him. Paul was well educated in the ways of a Pharisee, Peter an uneducated fisherman and yet both were filled with the Spirit of God and both approached the throne of grace. God is not impressed with the knowledge of people, He is all knowing. God is not in awe of the accomplishments of anyone, He created everything.

The fact that 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “humble themselves and pray” not just pray, is easy to overlook.

If we are just to pray then God is like a rich relative or wealthy philanthropist waiting for the magic words, endearing request or perfect program to get behind. The idea of knowing enough to make God sit up and listen comes to mind with this picture.

Once we add the words “humble themselves”, the knowledge card no longer is the highest card. Humble means that I understand that God knows what is best. What I know falls so short of His infinite knowledge. It is a stretch for me to even understand how little I know in comparison to Him.

The act of prayer in its purest humble form encompasses communications of any type. There is no limit to our expressions of praise and thankfulness, frustration and disappointment and our requests for God’s intervention and favour…

When I was a young boy, maybe even close to a teenager…

…I somehow ended up hearing a preacher preach on sex in the marriage relationship. I don’t remember whether there was no child care provided or my parents decided I should stay with them, but I do remember hearing things that can’t be unheard. It wasn’t what the preacher said that affected me, I would be comfortable preaching the same message. It was sitting beside my parents and hearing, “married couples should invite God into the bedroom. God created sex, God sees what goes on in your bedroom, why not ask Him to be in charge of your sex life” that caused me to squirm.

My guess is your reaction is the same as most, “why would I want to invite anyone other than my spouse into the bedroom during sex?” That is how an adult would react to hearing this for the first time but I wasn’t an adult. Back then all I could think of was, “my parents don’t do that, please tell me they don’t need to invite God into the bedroom.” Being adopted I still hold onto the faint hope that they never did that but they were far too happy for that to be true!

Why did I tell you this rather traumatic memory from my past?…

I don’t know if you noticed it but he [the preacher] didn’t say pray and God will give you a great sex life. He said, “invite God into the bedroom” because, “God created sex…” The recognition that God knows everything there is to know about sex because He invented it, changes the way we approach Him…

God knows what my spouse needs.

God knows the design of our bodies and how they will react today and every day.

God knows what tomorrow’s stresses and pleasures will do to our desires.

God knows, I don’t, so I humbly approach Him to be in charge…

If this “invite God into the bedroom” is too much then let’s try an easier one.

Invite God into your plans for the day, the month, and the year. He knows His will for you. He created you and has a purpose for your life. Wait a minute, maybe inviting God into the bedroom is easier. We live life every moment of every day, whereas sex is a little less frequent occurrence!

If you think the invites already mentioned are hard, this one may be even harder. Invite God into the boardroom, the small groups, the committee meetings, the staff meetings and any other things that people do to plan and grow as they carry out God’s purpose for the collective of Christ followers. This means ideas are no longer judged by our standards but presented to God in prayer, seeking His standard…

Humble prayer asks God…

…if there is something we are not doing or if there something we should be doing as well as requesting that God directs us so we do what He wants us to do. Whether you use “we” meaning the collective of Christ followers or “I” meaning in my life, the desire to do God’s will while avoiding personal likes and dislikes, correcting wrongs and making sure oversights are addressed, is humble prayer put into action. It is inviting God to bear the weight of the structure, not us.

From time to time my blog will include abridged excerpts from my book “Blueprint.” Like any author/blogger, I find it difficult to leave the words I have written in my computer until a publisher can be found. Maybe it’s because someone somewhere needs to read these words now.

Blueprint excerpts:

A Little Understanding – The Footings

A Little Understanding – The Foundation Walls (Part 1)

A Little Understanding – The Foundation Walls (Part 2)

A Little Understanding – The Foundation Walls (Part 3)

A Little Understanding – Above Ground

A Little Understanding – Above Ground (Part 2)