If Prayer were Common Sense
by Jan Cox
I take myself to be a reasonable person. I can be persuaded to see the other side of an argument – sometimes it is not easy as my husband would attest. But I do try to use my common sense.
Jesus talks to us about the other spectrum – supernatural sense – where there may be no common sense of why at all, in earthly terms.
That’s why we scream against bad happenings and cry – Why God, Why? We can’t see “the other side”; we want to make everything to be at our human level of thinking – and that is not God’s level.
One passage that I have starred many times is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Here we are told three things to do which are supernatural revelations:
Be joyful always
Pray continually
Give thanks
Oswald Chambers talks about praying “without ceasing” (KJV). If we think of prayer as something to do only when such and such happens, then Oswald suggest we are on the wrong track. He reminds us to think of prayer as breathing, as blood flowing in our veins. We are not conscious of it but it always goes on as we live. “Prayer is not an exercise, it is life.”
So as we live and breathe we pray.
Maxi Dunham wrote an excellent workbook called Living Prayer. In it we learn as we live we can pray. But it is suggested that we might need to learn this. Although prayer is innate, in our lives it can become clogged like an artery can be clogged. The spontaneity of prayer can be lost.
“Pray without ceasing”; “keep the childlike habit of offering up prayer in your heart to God all the time.” (Oswald Chambers, May 26, 2011)
Awareness of Jesus and opening our hearts to Him, opens the artery of prayer. Let’s learn together how to do the supernatural and pray continually.
Next week I will talk about One way to learn how to pray continually.
My Gratitude List – I have stopped numbering and will just continue my list:
– a royal wedding where love seemed evident
– a royal wedding message that made God come first
– chicken already cook from the store
– medicines for pain
– a hubby who does the dishes
– time for prayer with a friend
– first buds on the trees (very late spring this year)
– Ann Voskamp
– Ann Voskamp (she needs at least 2)
– reading One Thousand Gifts
– leading One Thousand Gifts Bible Study
-buying a piece of land
– waiting on God
– beautiful sunshine – clear blue skies (not today while I write this..)
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Jan Cox
Jan, a former school teacher and small business owner, found a new passion in writing in her retirement. She has published two devotionals and a number articles for magazines and a Bible study. She is owner of Under the Cover of Prayer and moderates the site. She also writes at A Better Way. Jan has written a children’s book in which she is also the watercolour illustrator. She hopes to publish it this year.
