I begin each day in prayer. It is a vital part of my life. Mine
are not the typical "gimme" prayers. I have matured beyond the
childish requests of wanting my every wish granted. (With the exception of - I'm still praying for that pony for Christmas!)
I've learned that what I'm seeking may not always be in alignment with Divine
Will. My prayers now consist mostly of gratitude*, awareness, and alignment**.
When praying for others, I ask only that they open their hearts and minds to
God, allowing Him to guide them, heal their pain, and restore them to
wholeness. Additionally, I ask that they always and only make morally right
decisions that keep them in God's favor.
I've always found prayer to be comforting and
fortifying. I experience a sense of
peace as I converse with Father God
knowing that as I navigate through this life of uncertainty,
temptations, and pain I am never alone. As a child, I received great comfort in
having my dad to protect me and keep me safe. And in the event that I got
myself into something I was ill-equip to handle, he was always eager to guide
and support me through it. So it is with my Heavenly Father.
Prayer was always effortless when petitioning for those I
love and care about. However, there have been times in my life when praying has
not come easy. Praying for those who have hurt or betrayed us can present a
unique set of challenges. How does a wife pray for her husband who had an
affair or a business owner for the one who forced him out of business? How can
the parents of a child murdered by gang members pray for those who caused them
unspeakable pain and robbed them of their most sacred love? We've all found
ourselves in situations where prayer seemed nearly impossible and sometimes
completely unreasonable.
The Bible tells us in Luke 6:28, "But
I say to you love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray
for those who mistreat you." "Pray
for those who mistreat you"? Seriously Lord? How can one pray for
someone who has caused them incomprehensible suffering and hardship?
I
faced this challenge about twenty years ago when I found myself at the
threshold of a ten-year estrangement from three of my children due, in part, to
vindictive and hateful family member.
For any mother, the pain of losing a child is her worst nightmare. And
while most think of that loss in terms of death, estrangement can prove to be
nearly or equally as painful. My mom reminded me of Luke: "Pray for
him," she said. So I prayed that he might open his heart to God and
allowed Him to heal whatever pain was causing him to be so spiteful. It wasn't easy. Initially my prayers were
angry prayers: the Our Father laced with a few "I hate that SOB!" repeated over and over. Yet with each
prayer, God removed a portion of my pain and replaced it with understanding.
Another Our Father exchange anger with forgiveness and
so on until my petition to God was one spoken in love and faith.
God understands our anger and is forgiving
of angry prayers. All He asks is that we never cease dialoguing with him. He fervently wants us to reach out to Him in
the darkest moments of our lives. He promised to take our burdens from us and
make us whole. But He can only do so if we remain open and connected to Him.
In the years hence, I have found myself in
angry prayer with other hateful family members and each time I turn to God He
fulfills His promise and restores my sense of inner peace. And today, I am faced with yet another test. I
find myself growing weary and not wanting to pray at all. How many times must I
be betrayed by those I love? How many times must I ask God to heal their wounds
and restore His grace to them? Maybe this time, I should just pray that they all
go away and leave me alone instead. But mine is the easy way and God prefers
that I do things the right (His)way.
In my weakest hour, I once again hear His
Voice: "Trust me. Do as I ask. Let me ease your burdens. I will bless you
with my love and make you strong. I will never forsake you." So, as I sit
in faith I close my eyes and begin, "Our Father who art in Heaven..."
Be angry but pray anyway. God understands.
He's pretty cool that way.
*"Dear God, thank
you for everything you have give me, for everything you have taken away from
me, for everything you have left me, and for everything that is yet to come.
Amen."
**Lord, I am a
physical manifestation of your presence in this world. Let all who know me come
to know you through me. Help me to live my life every day in a way that pleases
you for you alone are my Lord, you alone are my God, you alone are my Savior.
Amen." (From The Great Truth)
To order a copy of The Secret
Side of Anger or The Great Truth visit
http://www.pfeifferpowerseminars.com/pps1-products.html
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