Prior to social distancing and the pandemic, the Blonde and I were active in our community and went to a lot of award ceremonies and a million community/civic meetings and dinners. I miss them but what I don’t miss is being called on to pray.
There’s an occupational hazard of being a pastor at a banquet (or a Rotary meeting) and what I mean by that is you are always going to be the one asked to pray before the meal. Often I need to see the menu before I can say yes to the request. I’m a picky eater what can I say?
What people want at a banquet or civic function is what I call a safe prayer like God bless us, and thank you for the food, amen.
Can we talk?
I can’t do that anymore. When I go before the throne of the most high God I have to be serious because He is serious and I have to be real because He is real.
I am thankful for the groceries, I am thankful for the people who prepared them and I am thankful for those in the room because God likes people. After all, He created them. But He created them to worship Him. Does that make sense?
God’s main job (if I can put it that way) is saving people and making the Christian holy versus “just nice.” God is not a safe God, He is a consuming fire therefore He wants a conversation (prayer) that is a reflection of those things.
I like the story that comes from C.S. Lewis’ work, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” A young girl named Susan is about to meet Aslan the Lion who represents Christ. Susan asks, Mr. Beaver if Aslan is safe?
Mr. Beaver replies to Susan, “Aslan is a lion, the lion, the Great Lion. Who said anything about Aslan being safe? Of course he is not safe. But he’s good, He’s the King.” We can trust this King.
Author Anne Lamott says all of our prayers should include thanks, help, I’m sorry and wow! She might be out in left field with her theology but she’s right about prayer and I love her.
When I pray in the public I want to always say, thank you. We owe every breath to Him. I want to tell Him I’m sorry because we blow it far too often. Anything outside of the bull’s eye is sin and some days we don’t even hit the target, right? I want to say help, because, well, I can’t do anything without His help (John 15:5). If I was honest it’s more like, HELP!
Finally, I pray wow! God, you are so much better than I can dream or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). We stand in awe of you because you are awesome!
That’s what I want to do, but I don’t think it’s what people really want. They want safe preachers who pray safe prayers to a safe god. When we get real with God I’m certain all of Heaven is going to break loose, revival is going to break out and people’s lives are going to be changed. So go ahead and pray, but don’t play it safe. God is large and God is in charge and He is waiting to hear from you, so go boldly and accurately before the throne.
He told me to tell you that.
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