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| Still in His Hands: Still in His Hands | 10.04.09 Home |
Core Thread
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Pray Until Peace Comes
Also see Phil's article to keep on track with a related message.
"Pray until Peace Comes" sounds like another pithy Christian slogan that could go on bumper stickers and become emptied of its meaning. In reality, we can make it that, but the truth is much deeper and extraordinarily powerful.
Real, honest prayer is a struggle with something dangerous that actually can bring us to a place of peace. That's why praying the Psalms has been such a crucial part of spiritual renewal and power over the centuries going back to the time of King David. Honest prayer is dangerous prayer as the Psalms show us. These God-ordained prayers speak of genuine anguish, discouragement, frustration, feelings of abandonment, bewilderment, anger, hopeless as well as of praise, hope, joy, promise, and victory.
Jesus was nurtured in the prayers from the Psalms and we see Him utter the most honest, intimate, and dangerous prayer of all in the Garden of Gethsemane shortly before His death (Mark 14:32-42).
Jesus' encounter with Abba Father show his honest submission of the deep issues of life and death to God's gracious will and infinite power. He shows us that prayer involves ...
Paul teaches us a similar truth in (Romans 8:26-29):
In both examples, the one praying is conformed to the will of God -- made to be like Jesus. This prayer doesn't mean everything works out the way the person praying desires, but it does mean it receives the direct attention of the Father.
Prayer is dangerous because it opens the door for God to change things!
If we will pray with honesty, intimacy, and surrender, we will find that we can pray and peace will come: God's promise is true! (Philippians 4:4-7 and
Isaiah 26:3).
