“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:9-13
When Jesus is teaching his disciples [us] how to pray I do not see where He tells us to ask for safety and protection. Glory is given to God, His will asked to be done in us, provision requested, forgiveness and deliverance from sin asked…. But nowhere does He say “please keep us safe”. Actually, He tells us quite the contrary just a few lines up in Matthew 5:11-12, “ Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” So am I missing a blessing if I want to avoid conflict for the sake of Christ? Am I not completely yielded to God’s will if I am seeking protection of my body instead of laying my life down for the sake of the gospel? “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both body and soul in hell.” Matthew 10:28 Do I truly trust the Lord with everything within me? “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:24-26 Do I think that I am actually entitled to any greater fate than the Son of God Himself? “He went away a second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done’.” Matthew 26:42
I have always asked God to keep me, family, and friends safe. I request the same prayer in return whenever I take a trip or have a doctor’s appointment, etc. I believe this falls under the provision of God, and is perfectly ok to ask for, but if it is the desire of our hearts to remain safe, comfortable, free of any sickness or pain, may we actually be trying to avoid God’s will? Are we taking the easy way out when our God may receive the most glory if we walk through a difficult season for His name’s sake? Shouldn’t we ultimately just desire that the will of our Lord is done in us? I had never thought of things in this perspective until a team mate (thanks Beka!) injured her wrist and couldn’t work with us a few days. This young lady spoke some profound words and told me that if God has a purpose in her injury than she is ok with it. Furthermore, she doesn’t want to pray for protection but instead to be willing to go through whatever God desires and simply pray for His will. I have known people who found great purpose and testimony in experiencing tragedies like cancer or the loss of a close loved one or a crippling accident. While they would not have chosen that path for their life, they were able to embrace the purpose of God and brought much glory to the Lord through their trials. So the rest of this year I want to be open to whatever the Lord requests of me. I want to lay down my life for His name. I will be uncomfortable, I will be persecuted, and I will face pain if it reaches the lost and brings glory to God. Obviously I would rather the cup of difficulty pass from me, but not my will but Yours be done Lord. When we reach a place where we are completely open to whatever God wills in our lives, then we are in a place to be used for great things for the Kingdom.
Check out Beka Hardy's blog www.bekahardy.theworldrace.org and read her blogs and consider supporting her to reach our next financial deadline.
