Q: hey Randy,
I have a sort of quick question.... When people pray it always seems like they have prayer requests, I mean we're suppose to give our problems to God, but I was wondering, does God ever get tired of hearing our problems?? I mean not so much tired of them, but I mean should we do prayers where we just thank him? Does he get upset and feel unappreciated? Maybe I'm not using the right words... SHOULD I be doing just plain thank you prayers? I'm sorry to bug, I'm new at this and yeah. Well thank you if you get to this. :)
~Jackie
A: Great question...and you are totally on to something:) God absolutely loves to hears us when we pray and request something of Him... Jesus over and over tells us to "ask", so I don't think God tires of that. On the other hand you are also right in your other thoughts. Even though He doesn't tire of us asking, He still wants prayer to be much more than that.
Think of it like a conversation with someone you are deeply in love with and they also return that same love. To ask or be asked wouldn't be a bad thing at all. Of course what if the whole conversation was one-sided and full of constant requests from that person. Imagine what that conversation would be like. You'd miss out on the other great stuff like real discussions, thanking, adoring, crying, listening, and even those moments where neither of you need to say a thing because just being in each others presence is enough.
Prayer is like that. Here's a quick acronym (spells "ACTS") I learned a long time ago that highlights some main ways to pray (and yes, you can do just one of these and its prayer...or you can walk through them all too):
A (adoration: telling God what you love about Him)
C (confession: telling God what you've done wrong and need forgiveness for)
T (thanksgiving: telling God what you are thankful for, like things He's done for you, prayers He's answered, everyday life stuff etc..)
S (supplication: this is the asking and requesting one)
Now two areas that this lacks both fall into the no-words category. Sometimes we are in such anguish that when we come before God, we can't even voice the stuff going on inside. Instead we groan, we cry, we sigh. God here's these and understands what they mean (check out Romans 8:26-27)
The second no-words is that when we stop talking to be still in listen to Him. Unfortunately many people think prayer is a one way street where we do all the talking and God just listens.
Way off.
God speaks too! But usually we don't give Him the time. We say our peace and then we're outta there. We need to remember that it's also vital for us to be still, wait on Him, listen for Him, surrender to Him. Honestly I think some of my best prayers have happened when I shut my mouth completely.
Sometimes He speaks.
Sometimes He's silent.
Always He's there.
Psalm 46:10 says, "Be Still and know that I am God."
More questions? Email them to randyboerema@gmail.com
Friday, March 19, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Everywhere Song
Hey here is a song for ya that I quite like. The video is so-so...but listen to the lyrics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4b-KqLiWQk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4b-KqLiWQk
Monday, February 15, 2010
Tight Rope
I'm walking on my lifeline
The wire is on fire
My balance is escaping me
Swaying from my stand
But You arrived right on time
Shining through my dire
God you became the balance beam
That I hold in my hands
The wire is on fire
My balance is escaping me
Swaying from my stand
But You arrived right on time
Shining through my dire
God you became the balance beam
That I hold in my hands
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Coffee, Snowflakes, and Eternity
I'm standing here today on the beach overlooking Portage Lake. The dining hall behind me is buzzing with energy as people sit at the tables to eat their breakfasts. The weekend has went well so far, and after breakfast, we would have only one talk left before we all packed up to go home.
All of that would come in due time. But for now, I have my coffee, some snowflakes, and a serene stillness that surrounds me as my eyes scan the view of the frozen lake and hills that rest behind it.
You know that ringing in your ears you get when everything stops? When everything is silent? Yet there's still this noise? I'm sure that there's some scientist or doctor that has a good take on the medical side of it. They would say something about the internal workings on the ear drum such and such. But I like to think of it differently.
Maybe it's God's way of reminding me that He's there. It's funny how we search out the greatest things to find God in, signs plastered across the sky or some sort. We go to church searching for "that feeling." We seek out religious traditions and activities that seem to draw the emotional hair-raising-on-the-back-of-the-neck emotional experiences.
I dunno...maybe I'm wacked up. I guess, I just find that sometimes, it is the opposite of all that is when I find God. It's when I'm quiet. When I'm still.
It's when I stop trying to get His attention and just wait, enjoying the moment, taking the beauty around me. When the only noise is the faint wind and the silence. That silence.
I wonder if this is why the Bible records Jesus taking off into the middle of nowhere so ofthen.
But for now I'm satisfied as I stand here with a cup of coffee in my hands and snowflakes on my jacket, enjoying this little eternity.
All of that would come in due time. But for now, I have my coffee, some snowflakes, and a serene stillness that surrounds me as my eyes scan the view of the frozen lake and hills that rest behind it.
You know that ringing in your ears you get when everything stops? When everything is silent? Yet there's still this noise? I'm sure that there's some scientist or doctor that has a good take on the medical side of it. They would say something about the internal workings on the ear drum such and such. But I like to think of it differently.
Maybe it's God's way of reminding me that He's there. It's funny how we search out the greatest things to find God in, signs plastered across the sky or some sort. We go to church searching for "that feeling." We seek out religious traditions and activities that seem to draw the emotional hair-raising-on-the-back-of-the-neck emotional experiences.
I dunno...maybe I'm wacked up. I guess, I just find that sometimes, it is the opposite of all that is when I find God. It's when I'm quiet. When I'm still.
It's when I stop trying to get His attention and just wait, enjoying the moment, taking the beauty around me. When the only noise is the faint wind and the silence. That silence.
I wonder if this is why the Bible records Jesus taking off into the middle of nowhere so ofthen.
But for now I'm satisfied as I stand here with a cup of coffee in my hands and snowflakes on my jacket, enjoying this little eternity.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Big Red Tractor
Check out this little video. There is something about the power of God and being in that instead of doing everything on our own. If you get a second afterward check out the first couple verses of Psalm 127 too.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Seeing God
Have you ever wondered what God looks like? Wait. Even better...have you ever asked God to give you just a glimpse of Himself. You know...To make sure that He's really there. It would be much easier to believe in a God we can see...right?
If you're at all familiar with western Michigan than you would understand when I use the words "cloudy" and "depressing" to describe our wonderful midwest winters.
But not today.
No today was a rare jewel of blue skies and warmer (even though just a little weather. So I took the afternoon to go for a prayer walk on the sand dunes out at our local state park. Just awesome.
As I walked, I found myself asking God "Can I just see You once? Just walk over that next dune for a moment. That's all I want."
I took a few more steps, and heard a jet flying over. When I looked the sun was to bright and I couldn't spot it so I did what most people do and put my hand up to block the sun. It was a that moment that God whispered in my mind something.
See I couldn't see the sun because my hand was in front of it, but when I looked around I could see all the light reflecting of the lake, the snow, the trees. I turned and could see my shadow stark against the golden sand.
The whole time that my hand was blocking the sun, I was still able to see it's dramatic impact on everything around me.
You know, kind of like watching trees bend. You know it's the wind doing it. You just can't see it.
God reminded me in that moment that His work, His effect can be seen everywhere.
It's like Psalm 19 begins:
"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge."
Of course if I can barely taking looking at the sun, I wonder then how hard it would be to come face to face with the creator of that sun.
Thank You God for making Yourself known through Your creation and Your works:)
If you're at all familiar with western Michigan than you would understand when I use the words "cloudy" and "depressing" to describe our wonderful midwest winters.
But not today.
No today was a rare jewel of blue skies and warmer (even though just a little weather. So I took the afternoon to go for a prayer walk on the sand dunes out at our local state park. Just awesome.
As I walked, I found myself asking God "Can I just see You once? Just walk over that next dune for a moment. That's all I want."
I took a few more steps, and heard a jet flying over. When I looked the sun was to bright and I couldn't spot it so I did what most people do and put my hand up to block the sun. It was a that moment that God whispered in my mind something.
See I couldn't see the sun because my hand was in front of it, but when I looked around I could see all the light reflecting of the lake, the snow, the trees. I turned and could see my shadow stark against the golden sand.
The whole time that my hand was blocking the sun, I was still able to see it's dramatic impact on everything around me.
You know, kind of like watching trees bend. You know it's the wind doing it. You just can't see it.
God reminded me in that moment that His work, His effect can be seen everywhere.
It's like Psalm 19 begins:
"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge."
Of course if I can barely taking looking at the sun, I wonder then how hard it would be to come face to face with the creator of that sun.
Thank You God for making Yourself known through Your creation and Your works:)
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Rocks and Sand
"I'm busy."
I hear that line all the time. Sometimes I say it myself. And sometimes people even say it about me. Isn't it just insane how incredibly busy we can be?
So is busy bad? I mean does it really matter if we're constantly going? There's a big part of me that would much rather at least be doing something instead of sitting around twiddling my thumbs.
Maybe though, maybe, it's not having a full schedule that's bad.
What if it's really about what we fill our schedules with?
Have you ever tried to fill a glass jar with rocks and sand? Just a little tip: Throw the rocks in first. Then as you put the sand in, it slides around the rocks and fills the gaps. You run into problems when you try to fill the jar with sand first. It becomes near impossible to find room for anything else, let alone rocks.
Maybe it's time to figure out what those rocks in life are first. I don't mind being busy with rocks. I guess it all comes down to your priorities.
Sand, rocks which will it be?
I hear that line all the time. Sometimes I say it myself. And sometimes people even say it about me. Isn't it just insane how incredibly busy we can be?
So is busy bad? I mean does it really matter if we're constantly going? There's a big part of me that would much rather at least be doing something instead of sitting around twiddling my thumbs.
Maybe though, maybe, it's not having a full schedule that's bad.
What if it's really about what we fill our schedules with?
Have you ever tried to fill a glass jar with rocks and sand? Just a little tip: Throw the rocks in first. Then as you put the sand in, it slides around the rocks and fills the gaps. You run into problems when you try to fill the jar with sand first. It becomes near impossible to find room for anything else, let alone rocks.
Maybe it's time to figure out what those rocks in life are first. I don't mind being busy with rocks. I guess it all comes down to your priorities.
Sand, rocks which will it be?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)