“Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:” – Jeremiah 32:17
I suppose my prayer life is about the same as anyone else’s. And like many people, my prayers are often filled with requests for God to act in various ways. Prayers for healing, spiritual direction, financial needs, revival in our nation, friends and family, and lost loved ones often monopolize my time in prayer. However, every now and then, my prayers are so vastly different that I wonder if these exceptions in my prayer life should be my norm.
The other day as I prayed, the enormity of who God is and who I am, overwhelmed me. My heart was filled with such immense gratitude that the Creator of the universe, the One who designed the intricacies of the cell, the Lord who spoke everything into existence would care about me. All I could do was praise Him and thank Him for His goodness toward me.
I realize that I am a sinner; I understand that I am unworthy, etc., but for whatever reason, at that moment, I REALLY was impacted with my unworthiness before the only One who is worthy. Immediately, my heart was filled with an overflowing gratitude. Gratitude that God Himself found something worthwhile in me and reached out to save me from my unworthiness and my sinful state by sending His Son, Jesus, to be my Saviour. All I wanted to do was offer a prayer filled with worship and praise!
And then, my innermost being began to question, “Why?” Why care for me when He knew exactly how my life would be played out? Why did He bother creating me? He knew I would disappoint Him time after time, yet… He chose to create me! Why?
In the overall scheme of things, I am really not very different from the average person. I am not “up there” with individuals that have inspired me in my Christian life. Women like Corrie ten Boom or Elisabeth Elliot. Please do not mistake this for a lack of understanding about how we are all the same in the eyes of God. I totally get that, but in terms of service, my acts, while important, are not the same in the eyes of my flawed humanity as those of Fanny Crosby or Amy Carmichael. I know I do things that please God, and I understand that He values my service to Him. In those areas of service to which I believe God has called me, I have tried to be faithful and do my best for Him, hoping that one day, I will hear Him say, “Well done.”
Yet, the question my heart continues to cry out is “Why?” Why does God continue to work on me as an individual? He knows all my faults, my flaws, and even my moments of disobedience and rebellion. Why does He keep on working on me?
I believe the answer can be found in verses like Jeremiah 1:5, which tells us, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee…” and Jeremiah 31:3, which states, “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
I cannot conceive of that kind of love. It is completely incomprehensible to me. But it does answer the question of “Why?” Accepting God’s love doesn’t mean I have to know anything more than what He tells me through His Word. I don’t have to know the reasons why He loves me; I just have to believe He does. And I do. He proved it at Calvary. That’s good enough for me.
From now on, when I pray, it will be with a much more worshipful heart and a grateful spirit!
Let’s just praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let’s just lift our hands to heaven
And praise the Lord
Let’s just praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let’s just lift our hands to heaven
And praise the Lord!
(from “Let’s Just Praise the Lord” by Bill and Gloria Gaither)
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” – Revelation 4:11
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May my prayers always be filled with praise and worship to the Lord!