“Let’s go ahead and name the elephant in the room- some prayers work, and some prayers don’t.”- John Eldredge
Moving Mountains: Praying with Passion, Confidence, and Authority is the latest book from author John Eldredge. John’s previous books are Wild at Heart, Fathered by God, and Beautiful Outlaw.
In Chapter 1 (“Prayer That Works”) of Moving Mountains, Mr. Eldredge states that each of us has our own story of “prayers answered, prayers unanswered, and silence [we] can’t quite make sense of.” Yet, when it comes to life-including prayer, there is a way things work (emphasis John’s). Unfortunately, there is something adolescent in human nature that resists submitting to the realities of the world around us and within us.
Thus, John writes, we want prayer to be simple and easy. We ask for God’s help the best we can- the rest is up to Him. The problem arises when God doesn’t come through and we have no clue why. Losing heart and abandoning prayer may follow. With this very naïve view of prayer, we feel hurt and justified in giving up. Mr. Eldredge explains the consequences of this viewpoint:
“We abandon the very treasure God has given us for not losing heart, for moving the ‘mountains’ in front of us, bringing about the changes we so desperately want to see in our world.”
There is a terrible dilemma for us when it comes to prayer. It is in our nature to pray. We desperately want to have faith that God will come through for us. When He doesn’t seem to come through for us, where does that leave us? John emphasizes:
“I believe God is in the dilemma; I believe he wants us to push through to real answers, solid answers.”
Today’s question: What Scriptures speak to your dilemma when it comes to prayer- the elephant in the room? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Things can be different”
