We don't pray for horses

When my daughter was just under 4 she was obsessed with owning a horse.  We had moved to property with a barn and the people kind-of across the street owned horses.  Her friend had two miniature horses and she was convinced that this was something she needed.  So in her little child mind, she began to pray for horses.  During this time we were trying to get her to learn the passage from Joshua "be strong and courageous, do not be afraid, God is always with you" and so one night I had a long talk with her about how we pray to God not for our own will to be but for God's that we pray to God not for ourselves but for others.  Two days later in the car she was singing - she does this a lot - and she sang "we pray to God, yes we do, we pray to God, yes we do!  we pray to God for courage, yes we do! We pray to God for strength, yes we do! We pray to God for courage, yes we do! For we are not afraid.  We pray, God answers, We pray, God answers.  But we don't pray for horses, people buy horses, yes we don't! We pray to Go, yes we do..."

I almost burst out laughing!  But in her own way she was getting it.  This is a tough thing for adults to understand and get let alone children.  If God truly answered our prayers as we saw fit we would live in a world with a lot more problems then we do now.  You see we don't have the foresight that God does, to know the consequences of our human desires - just take Adam and Eve for example.  In our infamous Luke passage (Luke 11) in which we hear the words that give us the concept "seek and you shall find" "knock and the door shall be open" "ask and you shall receive" Jesus is not proclaiming that all our Earthly desires will be given to those who pray or believe.  Yes we are to persist in our prayers but the parable in this passage is not one of a man seeking gain from his neighbor but is interceding on behalf of another friend.  His desire is to help an other.  When we pray for courage, strength, joy, peace we are seeking to not only better ourselves for our own sake but for those around us.  When we pray for horses, lottery or other wants we are praying out of selfish desires. 

We are called to live into community and to love one another - all of humanity.  We are called serve others.  We are called to care and we are called to change ourselves and those around.  We are called to bring the Kingdom of God.  We are called to be the light in the darkness and the path to better.  But we can't do this if we are praying for horses.  We can't do this if we allow the evil of the day to spread in our vines. We can't do this if we can't open ourselves up to the prays that God wants for us. 

I am sadden by the world around me.  I am sadden that alcohol and drugs are running people's lives.  I am sadden that negative Television gets ratings while positive good in the world is forgotten about.  I am sadden that more people do not have a true and meaningful relationship with the Divine.  I am sadden that so many people are living a Christian life without living a life full of the Holy Spirit. 

BUT all this can change.  It can change through the power of prayer.  It can change through the Divine inspiration of praying for courage, hope, strength, love, joy, salvation, grace, ect... instead of praying for earthly wants and desires.  It can change through our own desire to be the change in the world, showing God's love.  It can be changed through each person taking a few moments each day to have relationship with God. 

We can take a lesson from my daughter.  We can take a lesson from the church and from God.  Let us let God's will into our lives.  Let us long for the compassion of a world that knows peace and love.  Let us begin to be the change not only our country needs but this world and the next generation need.  Let us be the lights that shine.  Let us allow love to come from our mouths and most of all let us pray for grace and love to abound in all lives.



Joshua 1:9New International Version (NIV)
⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Gospel Luke 11:1-13

¹He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." ²He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. ³Give us each day our daily bread. ⁴And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial."

⁵And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.' ⁷And he answers from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' ⁸I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

⁹"So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. ¹⁰For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. ¹¹Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? ¹²Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? ¹³If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"