I’ve been thinking a lot about prayer and faith and God’s work in my life. I’ve always had a hard time being intentional about noticing the ways that God answers my prayers or pinpointing times that God is working or teaching me something. I know that God is active in my life and that He’s always moving all around me, but I don’t always take the time to see Him or listen to what He’s saying. One thing I think I need to do is be more specific and more persistent in prayer, but there are a few things that I’ve heard and read recently that have really challenged me as well.
One came from the book Crazy Love. In one super-convicting chapter about being Lukewarm Christians (which Chan says is really an oxymoron), he writes, “Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to…. The truth is, their lives wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.” That wasn’t exactly the most encouraging thing to read, but I guess truth is hard to take sometimes. Have I made my life so comfortable that I don’t need God? Sure, I face trials sometimes, but rarely anything that I can’t handle on my own or with the help of my friends or family. Although I know my first response should be to turn to God, if I’m completely honest, it doesn’t always happen that way. How often am I challenged to exercise true faith? Am I taking enough risks?
Another challenging thought came from my pastor, who basically said that we don’t experience miracles because we don’t put ourselves in position to need them. This goes along the same lines…we’re not challenged to exercise our faith because we live such cushioned lives. I believe that God is faithful and that He will always provide what I need, but I haven’t often had those beliefs put to the test.
Writing this actually scares me a bit because I know God often responds to things like this by challenging us. But I really do want an authentic faith. I definitely don’t want to be lukewarm.
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” ~Revelation 3:15
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1 comment:
Oh, what a wonderful prayer... to want authentic faith. To have a true and steadfast faith that won't waver. It should be the prayer of every Christ follower. "For he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones." Proverbs 2:8
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