By: Jenny Baxter
This Motherhood Life Hack is all about prayer, and praying for the ups and downs in your motherhood life.
Here are some more pointers about prayer to help you on your prayer adventure.
Prayer is no small thing
- It is as simple, and as complex, as verbalising something to God. It’s not talking into “thin air” or writing a request on paper. It is directing that thought, that request, that internal yearning, to the Living God, Creator of Heaven and Earth.
Prayer Depends on Your Motives (1)
- It’s all got to do with your attitude and motivation. Prayer will almost always not be answered with a YES if it’s a greedy, self-focussed request:
“I want a luxury car.”
“I need to win the lottery.”
On the other hand, it might be important to have a luxury car for some purpose or event. Or God may answer a prayer for an injection of funds in a way that seems like winning the lottery.
So, there are no hard and fast rules about what you can, and cannot, pray for.
Prayer Depends on Your Motives (2)
- It’s about having a contrite heart. “Contrite” is not a word we use much these days. But it means to feel or express remorse at the recognition that one has done wrong. Being prayerful is about being “contrite in heart”. It’s about understanding we humans are not perfect, and have no right to be asking anything! And yet, God listens.
These are the ones I look on with favour: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.
What about Unanswered Prayer?
- The fact that “God answers prayer, but not always the way we want” is the only way I can get my head around the idea that my mother died of cancer, and other mothers I know are miraculously healed.
Why does that happen? Why do some people die, while others are given life? I now understand that both outcomes are a type of healing. It’s just that “death” is not the expected answer when we pray for life.
The difference is that my mother was healed by leaping into God’s arms in heaven. While others leap out of bed, into life on earth. These are both answers to prayer. Just not the same answer.
Why the difference though? I don’t know. I can’t know. It is the ultimate unanswerable question. But I do know that, “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4 (NIV)
Stuff happens. Life is hard. Things go wrong. The world is broken. And good people die. I just have to trust God through those storms.
And as a result, I grow, mature, and understand suffering from personal experience. I can do empathy. This is the huge positive outcome from Life Hack 3 – you become a better person.
And Finally, Pray a Winner!
A question for you: “What does God want for you in your situation?” If you can ask for something you know he wants, then you are onto a winner.
Article supplied with thanks to Treasuring Mothers.
About the Author: Jenny Baxter is married with 5 children, and 3 adorable grandkids, Jenny is an accomplished writer, manager and Board Director with a heart for motherhood.