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Discussions on Prayer
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Your will be done...
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Someone once said to me that the greatest prayer you could pray was "Your will be done". Now I DO agree with this, but I have also found it quite limiting as any other prayer/intercession often then feels a bit like you are trying to manipulate God so if I'm praying for someone's needs, I often end up praying the your will be done prayer as I feel as if I'm trying to get God to act in a certain way if I pray anything else. I guess I'm struggling to with intercessory prayer here and how to get over that feeling.
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skeffie 09/22/2011 14:31 |
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Peter
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09/23/2011 08:26 |
When I am praying for someone, I often begin by praying for what I think is the best solution to their trial (work for the unemployed, healing for the sick, etc.) Usually, somewhere along the way, I realize that God may have different plans, and I know his thoughts are far above my thoughts, and his plans are better than anything I could come up with. At this point, I often switch gears in my prayer and recognize that God's perfect will is better than anything I could come up with, and begin praying that God will grant the person for whom I am praying the grace, peace and patience to see the situation through to where God wants it to go. I also usually pray for guidance for the individual that they might be led by the Spirit into whatever God has in store for them without commandeering their path to try to get where they think they want to be.
I think you hit on something important with your remarks about attempting to manipulate God. I know it is not possible to manipulate Him, but your feelings in this may be an insight into what's going on in your own heart and soul. Of course just saying "Thy will be done" isn't doing much to minister to the one for whom you pray (especially when they are present to hear your prayer), and that is why I usually focus on what the person will need to endure the trial and come to wherever God's will takes them.
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Tammy
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10/07/2011 22:01 |
In the end, God's will is done anyway. He doesn't mind if we ask for specific things. It's not a manipulation to ask. It's like when our kids ask us for ice cream. Sometimes we say yes, sometimes we say no, and sometimes we say later. Each of those things are an answer to prayer.
When it becomes manipulation is when we keep asking when we know the answer is no, or when we try to convince God that we know better. For example, when my son says after I say no to ice cream for breakfast--but it has milk in it! It's good for you!
U think Peter has an excellent point about looking at where your heart is when you ask. God WANTS us to ask for stuff, and He wants us to pray for others. Are we going to make mistakes when we ask for specifics? Yes. Is God going to answer the prayer in the right way for that person within His will? Yes. Is He going to be upset with us for asking when our hearts want the best for the person we are asking for? No, not at all. He loves that we care enough about that person to ask Him for help.
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