On Prayer

I was asked to pray for a miracle for someone, for healing. Now, the whole reason we call them miracles is that they don't happen very often. So most of the time, most people who ask for miracles don't get them, otherwise they wouldn't be miracles, they would be what usually happens. So while I can ask God for a miracle, if it is not part of His will, then it won't happen.

So then I wondered what to pray? Should I pray for relief from pain? What if that means she dies? She is a Christian, so would that be a terrible thing? Maybe I should pray for her family to be loved and supported through her illness? But what if God's plan is to teach them something through this time of suffering?

So, in the end I prayed - God, your will be done in her life, in their lives and in my life. I asked for the miracle, if it be God's will, and returned to the thought that God's plan is the best plan - only He sees all, knows all and understands what is for the best.

Isn't this the essence of every prayer? Lord, this is what I want, but only if You want it too. Maybe every prayer should begin and end with "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done" and "not as I will, but as You will".

Once again, themes of submission to God and waiting on Him are becoming paramount in my life. Seeking His will for me and for others, asking for His guidance and direction, looking for the direction of the Holy Spirit. I do not think it is coincidence that at this time my desire for God seems to be increasing also. I can't remember being this excited about the presence of God since I first became a Christian - then too, I wanted to read all and only about God, to learn and to talk about God, to find out what God wanted me to do and to do it, whatever the cost. It is strange, but wonderful, to be returning to my first love for God, after all these years!