Truth To Wonder: conversation for christ

We Christians are often guilty of ‘limiting’ God through our assumptions of what He should or shouldn’t be bothered with in prayer requests. This often comes from an understanding of God that hasn’t fully matured yet. This understanding comes from having experienced how God moves in the little, trivial things of life, and the great, daunting things of life. 

Some Christians will go to God in prayer over matters that are consistently small and minor, rarely seeking His provision in great matters. This often arises from a faith that is rooted in the material, trivial nature of much of modern life. Such souls project their worldly ways onto the Lord and thus sideline the immensity of His eternal attributes. Such individuals version of God often presents itself to the world as pleasant, gentle, but ultimately limited and weak. 

Other Christians, however, rarely seek the Lord’s provision in small, minor matters, and only go to Him when life truly gets hard. They have a correct understanding of His immense attributes, but they sideline His meekness and intimate care for each of His adopted children. As a result, their faith seemingly only declares itself in times of great suffering and hardship. The rest of the time, their witness is barely visible, as they live their lives in daily tension and worry over the smaller issues of the day. Such individual’s version of God often presents itself as powerful but cold and disinterested in the daily grind of life.

Recently, there was one such Christian, one who had always struggled with ‘bothering’ God with what many would deem minor worries and stresses. They were working earnestly each day to ensure financial provision for their family, and often spoke about how they knew God had provided them with the job role to afford such needed income. However, when a request for a day off to support a struggling family member was needed, they found themselves fearful of upsetting their boss. In reality they weren’t even asking for time off, they simply wanted to switch their usual allocated day off. 

It must be said that this dear believer works extremely hard, giving numerous working hours a week for free, supporting other colleagues daily through their personal struggles, and much more. In short, their consistent, selfless efforts had placed them in good stead for such a simple request to be granted in return for their consistent diligence. However, this dear believer was living in quiet daily fear of their boss/job security, and so didn’t pursue the request for the day to be rescheduled. It wasn’t until another believer noticed this fear and suggested putting the request in, as it would benefit all parties involved. 

The dear believer in question pondered the possible request for days, until again, another believer observed that we shouldn’t live in fear of people, and that if it was what God wanted to happen, no boss could stand in His way. This other believer pointed out that the request should be made and left in prayer that His will be done. If the request was denied, then so be it, the Lord’s had said no for loving reasons. If the request was granted, the Lord had blessed the prayer. Either way, it was God’s will that was sought in humble prayer.

So, the dear believer submitted the request, having ‘bothered’ God with such a seemingly small matter in prayer that His will be done. Normally, such requests can take some time to be approved/denied. However, on this occasion, the request was approved in a matter of hours through a personal and warm assurance to the believer from their wrongly feared boss, that the request was granted. Not only that request, but a secondary part to the request also! Furthermore, other colleagues assured the dear believer of their position in the team and praised their manner and work ethic. In short, God had answered the ‘trivial’ prayer and then some!

God had shown Himself to that dear but fearful believer, that He is both a mighty God, and a personal God. He cares for the swirling galaxies and the humble sparrow also. Our lives as believers in Christ would be so much greater for His name’s sake, if we had a better, fuller understanding of His nature. We are to ‘abide’ in Christ, and He in us (John 15:4). That means that we are to share the fullness of our day with Him, from the mighty events to the mundane. He’s not like us in that we often get irritated with other’s trivial concerns and requests. Or when we get overwhelmed and panicked by bigger requests from others. He wants to share our every moment with us; He gave Himself on the Cross as proof of this! Yet, how often do we spurn this amazing gift with such a poor, narrow understanding and application of who He is! We cause ourselves to suffer so needlessly, grieving the Spirit as He cries out to our hearts for us to know Christ Jesus truly, in all His glorious ways! 

Let’s not live in want of understanding of our Lord and Saviour any longer. Let’s abide in Him each day with a joyful and thankful heart. Then we can live in freedom, without fear, knowing His peace, so that we can live out His will with a glad heart. Amen.