I have a hiatal hernia. And I don’t like it! Not one bit!
I have had it for over three decades. Until a couple of weeks ago, it had not even whispered a threat to my quality of life. But lately, it has been increasing in annoyance. Its intruding self-manifestation is such a companion in my daily activities that I think I’ll give it the name “Swiss.” Because “hiatal hernia” sounds like it might be the name of a traditional folk dance in the Swiss Alps.
Two and a half decades ago, I was having some severe sinus issues. One of the newer ladies in the church, who was “super attuned to God,” took me aside and asked in a scolding sort of way if I had specifically prayed for God to heal the chronic condition. I went home, thought about it, and concluded I had not. So, I did. Repeatedly. But nothing happened. I still have the remnants of that condition today. I also prayed that God would heal her judgmental attitude, but that didn’t happen either.
Now I ask, what do I pray or how do I pray about my not-so-friendly Mr. Swiss?
Maybe I need to get more people praying for him to disappear, for God to throw the bum out! But how many people praying do I need to pray before God grants such a “heartfelt” petition?
In my own life, when making requests for others, like in a hospital patient room, I will include in the prayer something like, “…and we will be careful to give you all the glory.” That sure sounds pastoral, but is it an honest commitment on behalf of another person, while I’m on the way to another patient room, then off to dive into sermon preparation? Far more times than not, I was not “careful.”
Part of the reason for this neglect is that the healings we receive are typically delivered during weeks or months of slow recovery. We pray for the immediate, merciful miracle, but often our glory-giving gets lost in the protracted coming of the miracle.
When our prayers are unanswered, or appear to be, we, “mature Christians,” have developed a rather long list of excuses for God’s lack of attention to our prayers. They are well-meaning but lack much Biblical scrutiny. Those phrases need not be numbered here; you and I know when we use them. We use them, or I used them, to avoid walking into that dark room of God’s sovereignty and omnipotence.
And that, my dear reader, is what prayer is all about: choosing to walk into the room of darkness and pain to take our miserable or uncomfortable circumstance on our journey up the narrow road to glory.
Every malady that encumbers us is the direct consequence of Adam and Eve choosing to live with God’s assistance, not His Providence. Death entered and continues to disrupt every human’s toil to live a life of prosperity and happiness. The right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness is divinely bequeathed in every human and every human who will come after us. It is well stated in the Constitution of our nation. But it is not a “right” for us to demand from others. It’s a Divine right that is established and nourished in a relationship with He who firmly established it in Himself, then in His image.
As the old saying goes, “Prayer changes things.” It is right and good for us to carry our fears and tears to our Heavenly Father. But do not forget the first, and highest purpose of prayer is intimacy with our Father, to know Him and to be fully known by Him. Our pleasure and our pain in life are His antidote, moving us from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness. To be Christ-centered is to follow the Spirit’s steps in migrating from “me and mine” to “ours and His.” And that is exactly how God is glorified! He manifests Himself, usually unknown to us, in the turbulent and dangerous world we live in. By His very nature, our God will be glorified. It is impossible for Him to be otherwise, no matter whether we remember or not, or feel prosperous or imperiled.
It is impossible to get close to God without also getting close to those He wants us to be close to. No matter how I “feel” about them. To facilitate that, and much more, is the purpose of prayer as I understand it today.
No matter how my relationship with my friend/enemy “Swiss” goes, it will be glorious. I may not enjoy it, but that does not mean I will be joyless because God responds to my earnest prayer not so much to Him as with Him.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV)
Photo – Grandson, Truitt, at the summit of his uncle-trust flight at St Simon’s Island this Summer.
Baldwin Heirlooms 