As I pray this morning, I’m thinking about the intimate, reciprocal relationship required to obtain answered prayers, at least in the way that I pray them.
In other words, what do the qualities of the pray- er have to do with being heard? Why would He listen to me?
My first thought went to John’s gospels ‘if you ask anything in my name...’. ( and that was a pleasant and easy thought. )
My second thought though, right on it’s heels, was that the ‘you’ wasn’t spoken to the crowds. It wasn’t spoken even to the seventy. It was spoken to those who had followed closely.
Followed closely enough that their faults and weaknesses were seen and addressed. Closely enough that their group dynamics came under the scrutiny of His eye. That group of ‘you’ had eaten, sailed and toiled with Him; they had ran errands for Him and had given up their lives to see His promotion.
It strikes me today that there’s a favour component required for my prayers to be heard. A favour component that I receive, not simply because I know His word to other people, but a favour that belongs to me because, like those other people, I’ve chosen to eat, sail, toil and labour with Him.
I’ve let Him see and address my weaknesses and faults, privately and publicly. I’ve ran His errands, let Him keep me awake- heard His ‘yes’s and felt the sting of His ‘no’’s’.
I’m certainly not where I want to be. I’m certain I’m not exactly, nor always, where I should be. But I’m also sure, that over the noise of my life and the crowd around me, that I saw His gaze fall on me and that my own ears heard that ‘you’ when he made the declaration.
Today, as I think about the reciprocal nature prayer requires, I’m so glad for His invitation to pray. I’m so truly joyful that His written invitation is now to us all to ask and receive.
I’m so thankful, that you- like me- are called and qualified to move into that intimate place of breath exchange that we call prayer. That place where life is traded for life.