Christianity Oasis Forum

by **humblevisitor** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 7:45 am

This lesson or step on prayer is one I will have to review often. Almost always when I pray, I spend too much time with my complaints and not nearly enough time in praise, thanksgiving and especially listening. I believe that I need to free myself more to be led by the Holy Spirit in Prayer because I really do not know the things I should pray. For example: for friends and family, I am always praying that they be relieved of a problem in life or that there be a change in circumstance...and those are not bad things to pray for. But I pray for them because I believe thats what they should have happen even though it may be the will of God that they are going through this to learn something or to be more dependent on Him. This is especially true of my children because I want them to have everything go well. But one line in the study brought home some truth to this. I had placed my wife children and career ahead of God. I could have chosen to place God first and then I probably would have loved my family better and done my job better because that was conforming to God's will that i place Him first. But God knew better and those things had to be removed from my life so that i would put Him first. I had a lot of anger with God about that and I had to search my heart again this morning to see if i still had that anger. And I think I did still have some but in praying about that I am beginning to see the need for it. I also asked that, if it was His will, that i could seek to learn these things without so much pain. I believe that I can because that is what I want for my children. God does not want to cause me pain, but to give me joy...and He will do whatever He needs to bring me where I need to be. So.....i need to be more willing and obedient. And when praying for those I love, including my friends, the best prayer I can make is that is that they seek God first and always...and that they turn to Him for strength and support in believing that wherever they are in life God is with them, that He loves them, and that He is waiting for them to turn to Him for healing or whatever else they may need. I think those things are always God's will for us all.