His will be done

I meet with a some fine Christian men once a week. We discuss things happening in our lives, prayer needs, and a plethora of other topics. As one of the guys was making his needs known, it struck me how prayer "seems" moot. We serve an amazing God whose plan is to prosper spiritually and perhaps even physically, those who believe and submit to Him. I know full well that my prosperous spiritual life could mean a destitute situation. And that seems understandable. But, I almost get to the point of "why even pray". I mean, His will will be done regardless. I can't change God.

Some will petition that Jesus taught about the woman who continually brought her case before a judge that would grant her petition just to get rid of her...consistency in prayer life. Long suffering.

Then I think of CS Lewis' quote - "prayer" ... "it doesn't change God, it changes me."

It puts Jesus parable into a different light for me. That I might develop a consistent, earnest, fervent, desperate longing to see God work in my life would change me. It might even make me dependent on Him, which might be exactly what He wants.

Can you imagine just praying and immediately having an answer? I don't think the proper name for someone that answers like that would be God but Genie. As I even teach about how God was training His people in discipline for 40 years as they were wandering in the wilderness, I overlooked how I behave exactly the same as them. I see things with my own shortsightedness and call it wisdom....my own timelines for when I think things should be resolved and call it patience...see my own obstacles and call them insurmountable.

I am reminded of an episode of Happy Days when they got everyone to chant an incantation and the faster they said it the more it revealed the truth. It went something like this:

Owa.... tafoo..... liam.... Say it over and over, and a little faster each time...Truth.