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)
