The Difference

Well, after a bit of a break, I'm back with something new to share with you. I have started doing a foundations class at church. Yesterday was the 3rd class, and I have been getting quite a bit out of it. Even though it's the basics that I've been taught for years, it's been great to get into my Bible & look up each verse reference myself. Some of it has been just a refresher, or reinforcement, but God has also used this time to show me things I hadn't seen before, which I am very grateful for. I believe no matter how many times I read my Bible, God will always have something new to show me.

Some of you may already know this poem by Alan Grant, but I had never seen it before. As we read it in class, though, I realized how much truth was behind this very basic rhyme. The instructor, who is in his 80's, and who has been serving God for somewhere around 45 years now, nearly began crying as he read this to us. This is a man for whom I have the utmost respect as a truly Godly man. He has walked through many things, and it is clear from being with him only a few minutes, that he has a very strong relationship & friendship with God. The fact that this poem moved him so much made me give it a heavier consideration as we were reading it. And again, when I got up this morning, I read it and thought it over for a while.

The Difference

I got up early one morning

and rushed right into the day;

I had so much to accomplish

That I didn't have time to pray.

Problems just tumbled about me,

and heavier came each task,

"Why doesn't God help me?" I wondered.

He answered, "You didn't ask."

I wanted to see joy and beauty,

But the day toiled on, gray and bleak;

I wondered why God didn't show me.

He said, "But you did not seek."

I tried to come into God's presence;

I used all my keys at the lock.

God gently and lovingly chided,

"My child, you didn't knock."

I woke up early this morning,

And paused before entering the day;

I had so much to accomplish

that I had to take time to pray.

The Bible tells us over and over again to pray constantly, pray about everything, be unceasing in prayer, come boldly to the throne, ask and you shall receive. (a few verses to look up if you'd like: Luke 18:1, Ephesians 6:18, 1 Thes. 5:17 1 John 5: 14-15. If you don't have a Bible, you can do a scripture look-up at Bible.com)

• This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:14,15 NIV)

Just look at the awesome promises made in this verse. 1) We can be confident in approaching God (we can be bold and assured). 2) If we ask of Him, he hears us. 3) Since we know he hears us (because He just got done telling us this is so in the previous sentence), then we can also know that He will answer our prayer. Those are some pretty incredible promises - things we can KNOW to be true. We do not have to doubt them whatsoever.

But, if we do not ask, He will not answer. If we do not show Him the love and respect of taking the time to talk to Him, to include Him in our lives, the we cannot expect Him to act on our behalf just because we've gotten ourselves into trouble. Look at the wording in this verse above - IF we ask. IF. James 4:2 makes this clear: "...You do not have, because you do not ask God."

Look at what God has to say in Proverbs about ignoring Him in prayer.

• But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you - when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. (Proverbs 1:24-28 NIV)

I think that says it pretty plainly. To paraphrase: 'If you can't take time to seek me, and to listen to me, to heed my advice, and to accept my correction, and if you ignore Me when I reach out to you, be assured that I will not help you, I will not hear you, when you reach out to Me for help in times of need.' God is not a celestial Santa Clause (to borrow a term from Joyce Meyer). He doesn't want us to come to Him always with our hand out, only when we need something from Him. He wants us to talk to Him, to share our lives with Him - pray about everything - pray unceasingly.

I'm not an expert on prayer, but I don't have to be to know that it is important to God. If we want to have a strong friendship with Him, we MUST include prayer as part of our every-day lives. We must pray throughout the day - not only at meals and before bed. And we should talk to God about anything and everything. Just like the poem says, prayer can be the difference in each day.