It occurs to me that prayer feels a bit like trying to get pregnant.
Bear with me here. I don’t mean real prayer, to the God of the Bible. I mean my muddled view of it. In the quest for a baby, I have a number of strategies. Excluding the obvious, these include:
1. Reading lots of ‘how-to’ books
Not all ‘how-to’ books are crazy. But it’s amazing what you’ll I’ll listen to when desperate. Things you wouldn’t even consider were it not for the fact that – they just might work. Did you know, for example that: ‘yams give you twins’, (they don’t put that on the wrapping). And quite aside from dangerous veg, there are 734 principles of conception You Must Follow Today.
When it comes to prayer, I do the same thing. Is my prayer authentic? Have I got the order right and does it contain the correct components? Forget the Bible, what do the experts say?
Thinking you can go it alone is a schoolgirl error. I’ve heard rumours that some folks have conceived without the aid of Goji Berries. In the same way I was taught at Sunday school that prayer is just talking to God and you don’t need any special equipment. Bonkers.
2. Praying in Jesus’ name
It’s a special mantra that guarantees you will get what you ask for. Babies, cars, blonde hair extensions.
3. Visualisation
Infertility is another name for Negativity. If you think yourself pregnant, it will happen. And in the same way, if you pray really really hard for what you want, with the right amount of faith God will do it, (especially if you make Him feel guilty).
4. Getting Other People Involved
Nothing is more helpful than getting everyone’s advice on how to fix a medical issue, then doing it all. Similarly, if you get loads of people to pray, (even if you don’t do it yourself), then the weight of group pressure will swing heaven’s vote in your favour. NB: It is worth reminding people that there is only ONE right answer here – and it is what You want. God’s will can be done in less important matters.
5. Just Relax.
If it’s gonna happen, it’ll happen. Prayer and pregnancy will spontaneously occur when you JUST CHILL OUT. An anxious womb is an empty womb: and God’s got enough on His plate without you moaning.
…
One of the things I teach the kids is the prayer teaspoon (TSP): Thank-you, Sorry, Please. I’ve grown out of this, of course. What with all the books and yam curries, I haven’t got time.
Listening to those prayers however, I’m a little jealous. Their God is a relaxed Father who loves to hear them talk. He doesn’t care about visualisation or rituals or conversational packaging. He’s the God of the Bible – and He’s my God too.
So perhaps I’ll stop trying and start talking. Remember Emma, keep it simple.
Love it. Really helpful, and so true (not just for pregnancy, it works for exams, baking, employment worries, the lot!)
Good to see Glen yesterday!
It’s so true; we make prayer so much more complicated than it need be. I think it’s important to be in awe of God but I also believe he is our perfect Dad, always accessible, who is very much aware of our weakness and failings and shameful shabbiness yet still loves us and wants to be with us and hear our ramblings and moanings. I try to cultivate thankfulness because even in the gloomy times we have blessings just itching to be counted if we just take the time and though they may be very small things indeed. Thank you AGAIN for timely words spoken/written graciously and with your usual piercing honesty.
I thought I couldn’t learn from thos post, that I had the chilled out chatting with my daddy sorted…but I did get challenged…you mean, my prayer on its own is enough for God to hear me, I don’t need a bunch of superstart chrisitians to back me up? That my limited faith is enough?
Hi Beckie – I read your comment as ‘exams, employment, baking and the Loft’. I was thinking – what exactly does she keep up there?
Claire- that’s v true- when I think about the perfect Dad, he’s someone I love and am naturally in awe of; one doesn’t contradict the other. Keep forgetting this.
L2F: it feels like that sometimes, doesn’t it?