Mysterious Prayer...From Where the Blessing Comes

Prayer is such a beautiful gift from the Lord to us. Over the years, my beliefs and view point of prayer has changed, experienced a metamorphosis of sorts, and matured, I hope.
While traveling through Pennsylvania on furlough in the U.S. this past summer, I heard a beautiful song on the Christian radio which speaks of the mystery and beauty of prayer.

The song, by artist Laura Story, was new to me. Not living in the U.S., I don’t really know how “old” the song really is, but to me it was new. The first time I heard it, I was moved to tears. As the hot, salty droplets ran down my face, I thought of how many times I have begged God to take away a difficult situation, only to have His answer be a gentle “No”. I thought of all the times when a healing, a desired resolution, or hoped-for outcome I had prayed for never came to pass, and how by having to walk those difficult roads with the Lord rather than by-pass them, a quiet strength grew inside me that was born out of the struggle. I contemplated how my relationship with the Lord has deepened for having had to walk hand-in-hand with Him through deep waters rather than having stayed in the shallow, calm water’s edge of superficial prayer and cold religious ritual.

I used to pray for things to work out the way I saw best…to my advantage humanly speaking. But, really, as a daughter of the King, that guarantee is already mine in Christ Jesus according to Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love God, who have been called according to His purpose.” (NIV) Where I get in trouble is when I think I know exactly what way is the best for me, or thinking the only outcome that is for my “good” must look like what I have conjured up in my tiny little brain…forgetting it is only God who sees the past, present, and future of not only my life but the whole Gospel Story which He is working out in this groaning world.

So as I try to “grow up” into the Faith, I now pray for courage to entreat God for His perfect will, despite what affect that might have on my comfort, my reputation, my dreams, or my life. I think I still have a long way to go in fully understanding this mysterious, beautiful communication of my heart to God’s, and His heart back to mine, but I do hope that as my prayers go up like sweet incense before His Throne, that He smiles more and more with the thought that maybe, just maybe, I might finally be getting His Heart for prayer…for myself, my family, and my world.

I have included the words to the penetrating song by Laura Story titled Blessings. I hope you are blessed!




Blessings
By
Laura Story


We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for your mighty hand to ease our suffering

And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if Your blessings come thru raindrops?
What if What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if the trails of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
And we doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

‘Cause what if Your blessings come thru raindrops?
What if What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You are near?
What if the trails of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win, we know
That pain reminds this heart, this is not our home…

What is my greatest disappointment or the aching of this life,
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy?
What if the trials of this life…the rain, the storms, the hardest nights…
Are Your mercies in disguise?