Thursday, July 18, 2013
Pray for Depth
Rev Bill shared a prayer:
Have you ever asked God for character traits? I have and sometimes I fear to ever do it again. God always answers prayer and shaping character often involves some pretty rough stuff.
It's an old analogy, but imagine being the clay on the potters wheel - it gets tossed, punched, abraded, and abused before it finally ends up in the shape the potter desires. When we seek character from God - that's what we are asking for.
But then people often abuse their bodies to "get into shape." If we do this physically, why not on the character level as well?
character prayer
May God bless you:
With a restless discomfort about easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships, so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your heart.
With holy anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work for justice, freedom, and peace among all people
With the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish, so that you may reach out your hands to comfort them and transform their pain into joy
With enough foolishness to believe that you really can make a difference in this world, so that you can, with God’s grace, do what others claim cannot be done.Note how that prayer doesn't seek things and it doesn't seek relief - it seeks character. I am struck by the fact that maturity seems to be less about what we do and more about who we are when we do whatever it is we do.
Have you ever asked God for character traits? I have and sometimes I fear to ever do it again. God always answers prayer and shaping character often involves some pretty rough stuff.
It's an old analogy, but imagine being the clay on the potters wheel - it gets tossed, punched, abraded, and abused before it finally ends up in the shape the potter desires. When we seek character from God - that's what we are asking for.
But then people often abuse their bodies to "get into shape." If we do this physically, why not on the character level as well?
character prayer
