I give my all to You

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Prayer?

I was just reading a book on prayer written by Philip Yancey, and he was raising a question I often ask God and myself. "Why pray?" Does God really care about the details in our lives, such as getting a house sold or finding a lost cat? And if the answer is yes, then what about a hurricane that flattens a city or a tsunami that washes away a quarter of a million people? Why does God seem so capricious in deciding if and when to intervene on this chaotic planet? In light of all these, why pray? Coz Jesus did.

From this book, "Prayer", I realise alot of people do struggle and have struggled with prayer at some time, just as I do. Even people like Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, and Henri Nouwen have struggled with it. A guy named Harold said this: "Through prayer I reconnect to God throughout the day. My body chemistry actually changes as I consciously release my problems to God and seek his help." I think back to the many occasions that I actively released my problems to God as soon as I came across them, and realise that I actually experienced the same thing that Harold did. But I also thought of the times when I decided to solve the problems myself and carry the full burden upon my shoulders, and I realise that those were the times I was disappointed in God for not aiding me. It wasn't His fault. He's always willing to help me, but I've gotta take the first step in ASKING for His help. But it isn't always that my prayers are answered, and I can only believe that it either wasn't the right time, or it wasn't in my best interest.

Why doesn't God intervene in major world events such as earthquakes, tsunamis and wars? I've been thinking about this question often. How can we blame God if we humans are the ones who make the decision to be at war with one another? As for earthquakes and tsunamis, how else will new lands form without the movements of the continental and oceanic plates? It's from these ongoing movements that new life can be formed - new species of trees and animals, new herbs and plants, new beautiful landscapes. And if big major events such as earthquakes and tsunamis don't shake our wonderful, stable lives, would we even acknowledge that there's a God? Don't we realise that we tend to acknowledge God's existence more when trouble brews?

How else would we be able to mould our characters and become better persons if there's not a ripple or tsunami in our lives? How else would we be able to experience just how wonderful and marvellous God is without being in situations when we have to cry out to Him for help and He, by His grace and mercy, rescues us? Harold said, "I see the Christian's life on this planet as a battle. We try to follow God on a place in active rebellion against Him. I don't expect a prayer to make that any easier, any less problem-filled. I do expect it to give me the inner strength to keep fighting. Persistence is my way of demonstrating faith."

And this shall be my way of demonstrating faith too.