Sunday, March 30, 2008

Prayer List ... updated with one more Gimme

Think there might be certain prayers God enjoys, or even gets tickled about, hearing more than others?

I mean, with 50 million Prosperity Gospel expectees scattered around the globe it's easy to imagine God might occasionally get bored hearing, "I'm really in a hurry to get that new car ... so is the hold-up on your end?" and "I've been a Christian for almost two years now, so why aren't I rich?"

Wouldn't be hard imagining God rolling his eyes every time he hears, "Why haven't I found the person I want to marry?" or "How much longer do I have to wait to get the job I want?"

Who knows ... he might even groan knowing tonight 40,000 more people are praying, "When will you finally find time to tell me what to do with my life?"

Even mundane, ordinary little prayers that don't require a lot of thought can sound an awful lot like a Gimme List: gimme good health, gimme a new girlfriend, gimme some good grades, gimme a break with the mortgage company, gimme a 'Negative' on my latest STD test ... and then how about some extra cash for partying this weekend too, please.

But what about a rare prayer? A prayer so rare that it's easy imagining God immediately taking notice ... and answering right away in the loudest, most unmistakable voice, "Oh boy, you got it!"

Prayers like asking God to:
-abruptly & immediately end any un-Godly relationships or romances in our lives, even if it means breaking our hearts
-take away any material possessions or goals distracting us from him
-teach us to trust him alone ... by crushing mis-placed hopes and man-made expectations
-place us in situations where we're likely to be ridiculed for sharing our faith
-take away false conveniences and material comforts
-remind us that we are only caretakers, and that every single penny and possession belongs to him
-keep strong believers nearby to hold us accountable at any time, and in any place
-teach us, no matter how hard the lesson, that we were ransomed at the greatest possible price, and that the time we're alloted and the lives we've been given do not belong to us