Sometimes
I am ashamed of my prayers. Too often I hear myself using familiar phrases that
are more like mindless filler than thoughtful, intimate interaction. One phrase
that annoys me, and that I think might offend God, is “Lord, be with me.” In
Scripture, God has already promised not to leave me.
God made
this promise to Joshua just before he led the Israelites into the Promised Land
(Josh. 1:5).
The author of Hebrews later claimed it for all believers: “I will never leave
you nor forsake you” (13:5). In both cases, the context indicates that God’s
presence has to do with giving us the power to carry out His will, not our own
will, which is generally what I have in mind in my prayers.
Perhaps a
better prayer would be something like this: “Lord, thank You for Your
indwelling Spirit who is willing and able to direct me in the ways You want me
to go. May I not take You where You don’t want to go. May I not enlist You to
do my will, but humbly submit
to doing Yours.”
When we
are doing God’s will, He will be with us even without our asking. If we’re not doing His will, we need to ask
for His forgiveness, change our course, and follow Him.
May our
prayers not be mindless, but instead mindful of God’s will. (RBC)
