A Prayer Challenge

Yesterday I mentioned I read a prayer book each year. We’re teaching on prayer at our church so I thought (since I’m preaching next Sunday and February 7) that it might be a good time to at least start the book. Maybe it will have some useful insight for the teaching series. My book this year? Experiencing Prayer with Jesus by Henry & Norman Blackaby.

I’d be lying if I said I’ve been reading carefully or even, dare I say it, prayerfully. Ironic, I suppose. But it really challenged me the other night. Enough so that I either need to put the book down or really prepare to be changed.

I often hear the challenge to believe what you pray. Believe that God can answer. That’s good and it makes sense, but they didn’t go there. At least not at this point. Instead, they ask this: “Have you resolved that no matter what God reveals to you and requires of you through prayer, your answer is an unqualified yes, even before He shows you?”

I know I’m always supposed to be obedient. I know God wants me to pray. I know He wants me to obey when He directs me in prayer. But there’s something about this that is particularly challenging to me. Maybe it shouldn’t be, but it is.

Do I go into prayer saying, “Yes, God. I don’t know what you’re going to ask yet, but ‘Yes.’ I’ll do it”? I don’t think I consciously do that and it seems like a risk to do so. But I agree that the cost of not doing it is greater.

Am I the only one that finds this challenging?