“Effective prayer is far more a partnership with God than it is begging him to do something.”- John Eldredge
“Taking five loaves and two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves (emphasis added).”- Mark 6:41
“So they took away the stone [from Lazarus’ tomb]. Then Jesus looked up and said . . .”- John 11:41 (emphasis added)
John Eldredge begins Chapter 4 (Who He Is and Who We Are”) of Moving Mountains by admitting that as he fights through the trials and tribulations of live, normally his eyes aren’t fixed on Jesus. For us, too, our eyes tend to be fixed on the crises before us. These crises have a way of arresting our attention.
When Jesus fed the five thousand and came to the tomb of Lazarus, John notes, He was not looking up to heaven like a man trying to recall something he’d just forgotten. Jesus looked up to heaven in order to fix His attention on the loving face of His Father.
Christians are well aware that faith plays a critical role in effective prayer. In fact, the author asserts, faith may play the critical role. But we are not capable of generating faith or feelings of faith. As John states, we must “look from the debris to God.”
In order to engage in effective prayer, we must be crystal clear about who we are and Who we are praying to- or with.
Today’s question: What Scriptures help you fix your eyes on Jesus so you can engage in effective prayer? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The Spirit of sonship”
