The Prayer Course 3 (no audio)
This Sunday on zoom church we watched Session 3 of The Prayer Course with Pete Grieg. The session focused on petition. In the story of Blind Bartimaeus, the man’s need was obvious, and he was loudly persistent in calling out for mercy. Yet Jesus still asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” God wants to hear us articulate our needs. We’re meant to do this continuously: seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking. We can pray this way knowing that God is a good father who wants to bless his children. He is a personal and relational God.
In the midst of lockdown I find that persistence seems to play a key role in our household. The voice of a certain child regularly asks, “Can I have a snack?” That persistence is fine at morning or afternoon tea; it’s not okay the moment lunch is over or during a zoom meeting. Thankfully, God is never too busy for us.
Like Pete’s analogy of traffic light, God’s silence (red light), “wait” (amber light), or prayer answered right away (green light) can cause all kinds of responses. When the light is green, we’re joyful and thankful. When it’s red or amber we can grow impatience or frustrated. But, it’s possible to trust God even in those times. God wants us to lean into his love rather than push him away. During this lockdown time, God invites us to experience his love even in the midst of all our emotions and difficulties.