Well, theologically the answer is no. However, I was captured by a phrase Oswald Chambers used in My Utmost for His Highest.
If God were human, how sick and tired He would be of the constant request we make for our salvation and for our sanctification. We burden his energies from morning till night asking for things for ourselves or for something from which we want to be delivered! When we finally touch the underlying foundation of the reality of the gospel of God, we will never bother Him anymore with little personal complains.
After reading this passage you may want to vindicate your prayer request. You may be saying "Hey, who are you to say such stuff, if you only knew". Oswald is not seeking to devalue out prayer life, but rather call to attention where our heart is. I've noticed during my Sunday school classes that prayer request share the same theme for a sick relative or friend. Sometimes they are about physical or emotional loss, or perhaps for a test that is coming up. I'm not trying to deprecate these request, but I don't ever recall hearing a prayer request about the souls of the lost. I assure you that I myself fall into the same trap at times where I can become focused on the temporal here and now situation rather than the big picture of eternity. I don't believe God tires of our prayers, but hopefully we are aware of who and what were praying for. What if a journal recorded all of our prayers? Would they see it as simply repeated request for personal care for ourselves and those closest to us or as a selfless cry for the lost & broken?
2 comments:
I was at a church conference this past weekend where I asked a friend, ready to leave our hotel room and go off into the late-night worship opportunities, if he had any prayer requests. He thought and mused about it for a moment and then said, "Pray for those who are lost." It really put things in perspective.
I'm reading "Utmost" as well (though I don't always read it every day)...quite challenging but obviously good. Have a great start to your week! :)
--Mike
Thanks mike, Appreciate your thoughts.
-nate
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