The truth is we pray about what we care about. We don't pray about what we don't care about. Seems obvious. And ... biblical.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)Yeah, yeah, that's the King James. And King James is probably the only one that translates it that way. All the others all say "casting all your anxieties on Him." Anxieties, not cares. But, what are anxieties? The Greek word means the parts, the distractions, the things that take our attention. So the King James translates it "cares." Maybe "anxieties" is better, but you get the idea. It's the red flags in life. The things that we care about. The same basic word Paul uses in his letter to Philippi.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Php 4:6-7)So, we are to pray about what we are anxious about ... what we care about. It's a command, but it's also what we do. And here's my question. What do your prayers say about what you care about? Some of us don't pray much. That suggests we don't care much, doesn't it? James warns, "You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions" (James 4:2-3). Too many don't pray enough. Too many of us pray about selfish things. What do you pray about? What does it tell you about your highest concerns? Hmmm ... maybe that's something to pray about?
2 comments:
It has been said that you can tell where the priorities of a person are by where their money goes. Prayer is another indicator.
“What do you pray about? What does it tell you about your highest concerns?” After giving this some thought, I realize that I almost always pray about things that I see going on that I wish I could change…if I had the power to do so--things that aren’t right or good or as they should be (the list of concerns is very long, of course!). Rather than just fret and “wring my hands,” I am led to take those pressing burdens to the One who does have the power to fix those issues. I figure if God agrees with my concerns--i.e. they are in alignment with His will--He might indeed see fit to make the very changes I seek--even doing “exceedingly abundantly above all that [I] ask or think” (Eph. 3:20). As I often must declare about my cares and worries, “Lord, You are the only One who can fix this!”
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