Why Pray?

I was able to get a copy of this book last year, shortly after it came out . . . and I LOVED it! It had a huge impact on my life and I longed for someone to share it with. So needless to say, when I found someone who had read some of Eric and Leslie's other books, I eagerly offered to let them borrow this one. It wasn't long before I wished I hadn't lent the book out - I had questions and felt like I needed to read it again.


Oddly enough, it seemed that the closer I drew to the Lord, the bigger my questions about prayer became! Do I trust the Lord that what He says will happen, or do I beg Him for it until it happens?? It seemed like prayer showed that I didn't really believe what He said!


I finally asked my brother if I could borrow his copy of the book which he was given for Christmas. As I read I was very much encouraged and inspired. But then an illustration was used for faith that made my "question" even bigger! Leslie said that if Eric told Hudson that he will take him to the zoo in the morning, he doesn't doubt and wonder if it will really happen. He goes to bed excited, trusting that in the morning Daddy will take him to the zoo. Hudson believes and therefore he doesn't ask - he trusts. So it should stand to reason that if God has given me a promise, then I don't need to beg (pray) for Him to do it. I should "go to bed excited, trusting that" it will happen. This seems logical, reasonable . . . but I had a feeling that this was just the problem - heavenly wisdom is NOT logical. :0)


Then I came across this line - "God's people are commissioned to ask, to seek, to knock, and to plead that the realities of heaven be made reality down here on earth." Hmmmm, kinda sounds like "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." The problem is that we often don't know what the "realities of heaven" are. God opened my eyes to see that the promises He has given me are "realities of heaven", and that through prayer I need to "pull them down to earth". (Hence the picture on the cover of the book.) This is why prayer is compared to giving birth. The baby already exists, he or she just hasn't come forth yet . . . and the process involves a lot of work and pain (so I've heard ;0). In the same way, the promises God has given us, whether by Christ's victory on the cross, or by His whisper to our heart, already exist. But we need to pray and travail until they are seen on earth.

True prayer demands more of our life 

than most are willing to give. 

And therefore, few are those who ever

taste of it's power and delights.

Prayer is the operative tool--

it's the rope tied to all of God's promises 

yanking this astounding reality to Earth.

So, shall we pray?? :0)