Welcome again to another podcast of Struggling Well. We're glad that you've joined us again this week and Suzi, recently we've done we've talked a lot about prayer. you mentioned the book that has become important to you, God on mute. Yes.
About prayer.
and it has gotten me thinking about it. And then one of the one of the podcast prayer podcasts we listen to regularly is 365. Lectio 365
and they recently did one on Hudson Taylor who was God's man in China as he's become known. But at 17 He grew up in a Christian home, but at 17, he wasn't sure that he knew the Lord. And so, he's in his father's study reading a gospel track, comes to know Christ. But 75 miles away from him, his mom was praying at that moment.
Wow.
For her son's conversion, and his dad, before Hudson was even born, had a burden for China and prayed that God would give him a son that would go to China. So, all that to say, these two parents praying for their son. and it's amazing that he sorry he ends up going to China and becomes a huge force in bringing the gospel to China. You know that I've had a very conflicted relationship to prayer as in my adult life. Sometimes it's I know I'm supposed to pray, I don't know what to pray, I don't know why I pray, and then sometimes I find myself praying I was convicted after listening to that podcast about needing to pray regularly particularly for our grandkids.
Yeah.
and what that impact could be. And
also so I'm I'll get I'll land the plane here in a minute. I also my final book that I did as a pastor was to study the book of Philippians. And it's in those opening verses of Philippians that has been a help to me in understanding at least how I pray and the way I do it. He says in verse three, I thank my God in all my remembrances of you always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy and it's that phrase in all my remembrances of you that has been a help to me because what I find myself doing is when somebody's mind somebody's name comes to my mind may maybe it's a friend maybe it's somebody that I know a little of their story it doesn't matter I just pray right at that moment for that person I it's not long lengthy prayer. It's just what I know about them. I pray. So when God drops somebody's name into my mind, I find myself wanting to pray for them.
The I think the I love that and I agree with that. The mystery part of prayer to me is okay, a name comes to me or situation comes to me, it's then what do I pray and what is God yearning to hear from me regarding that person? And so I think a lot of times when we pray, asking for God to do something that we think that person needs. And I believe we're supposed to make all requests known to him, that he hears us, he knows our thoughts, all the scripture passages that we're familiar with. But I u in Philippians that the prayer in the beginning and Ephesians and Paul does it throughout his letters is he prays for something so consequential for them. He's praying something for their internal world, not just their external circumstances,
right?
And so I think as we're praying, what do we want? What does God want? And how do we line those up?
Yeah. And I find also, Suzi, that prayer can become like a throwaway line. You know, somebody says, "Will you pray for me?" You say, "Yeah, I'll pray for you." And I don't always follow through on that. And sometimes people say, "Well, the only thing I can do is pray." Like somehow it's the very
last thing.
Last thing, and it needs to be the first thing.
Yeah. and it's you know so I the whole thing with that devotional about Hudson Taylor got me thinking and got me doing some looking into things and googling some things and all the rest. His greatgreat grandson is a missionary to China
and he initially said the last thing he wanted to do was to be a missionary.
Yeah.
And yet he's continuing. So here's this prayer of a mother and a father back years ago that their son would ha would know Christ and that their son would be a missionary to China. And now generations later that family is still continuing the work that began and Tudson Taylor thing grew to the China Inland Mission and now it's OMF I think is the name of it now. But my point is it all began because of two parents praying,
right?
And I think sometimes we don't see prayer as the first thing that we need to be doing.
And their prayer was not for this is rolling around in my head right now. Their prayer was that their son and then all the way down to their great grandson. The prayers for them are that and were that they would glorify God and expand the kingdom of God. Right.
And where I think we get confused is we want things
h I know that you know I don't know how to describe this. So, we kind of treat God like Santa Claus. And we've talked about that many times, but his parents were praying or his mom was praying that he would be a missionary to China because she saw and felt and God had impressed on her the need of those people, that people group to hear the gospel, to hear the gospel, to then accept Jesus as their savior to then have eternal life. So, the goal in our prayer is to glorify God and that we will get like Paul says in Ephesians and I'm reading again from the NLT. He says to the church at Ephesus, "Ever since I heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God's people everywhere, everywhere I've not stopped thanking God for you, I pray for you constantly." asking God, the glorious father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight that so that you might grow in the knowledge of God. So there's another leg of what prayer is
yeah and it's and it really does come to again I don't want us and we're not saying that we take away prayers that are requested by people oh would you know bring about healing for my loved one or would you provide a job those things are I think we in everything we bring our prayer requests to God but there's something deeper about I want to pray that God's word would take up resonance in your part and grow you as a follower of Jesus so that the good news of the gospel can spread through you and to you and to the world.
And praying for people's illnesses or job situation or whatever. when I hear somebody ask me to pray for them, they're in a certain situation. What I hear is they are in need.
And need is not a bad place to be because when we're in need, then we have to depend
on something else, someone else. And so when someone comes to me for prayer, I'm thinking they're in need. They're in need to depend on him and I'm in need to It's a good need circle. It really is. It sounds goofy, but
I need insight, Lord. I need insight to know how to pray. I need
I need to depend on you for this person that has asked me about their financial situation. I need to depend on you and trust you. I want that to be inside of them. it's this big whole need thing. That's why I pray.
Yeah. CS Lewis I think it was when his wife developed her cancer and got sick somebody asked him about prayer and he said, "I don't pray to change the heart of God. I pray that God would change my heart."
And that's what you're talking about. It's the realization that I need someone who I can go to who will listen to me, who will hear me, and who will answer me at as he deems best.
So, as you think about prayer, maybe you aren't like me, maybe you don't struggle with prayer, or maybe you do.
I would encourage you as God brings people to your mind, pray for them right then, right there. And you may know specifically how to pray, you may not. and for those of you who are parents, who are grandparents, I hope and pray like I do for us that our prayer life begins with our kids and our grandkids that they would come to know Jesus if they don't and that if they do they would grow deeper in love with him.
And if you're struggling to know how to pray, go to Philippians, go to Ephesians, the beginning part where Paul always talks about how he prays for them and pray that scriptural prayer over those people. You may not maybe you're you don't know what they physically whatever need, but if you pray that they would have understanding and insight and grow in their hope, hope of who God is and grow in their knowledge of who he is. That's a great prayer.
It is. Have a great week.