Yeah. I know. That seems weird right? God didn’t have any problems saying that to Jeremiah though.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve felt apathetic in your prayer life at some point in time. You didn’t see the point, you didn’t see or feel any immediate results. Why spend the time? I’ve been there. I’ve felt those things. I was reading in Jeremiah 7 the other day, and came across this:
“And you, Jeremiah, don’t waste your time praying for this people. Don’t offer to make petitions or intercessions. Don’t bother me with them. I’m not listening. Can’t you see what they’re doing in all the villages of Judah and in the Jerusalem streets? Why, they’ve got the children gathering wood while the fathers build fires and the mothers make bread to be offered to ‘the Queen of Heaven’! And as if that weren’t bad enough, they go around pouring out libations to any other gods they come across, just to hurt me. (Jeremiah 7:16-18 MSG*)
Things were bad. So bad in fact that God instructed Jeremiah NOT to pray for them. Not to petition Him for those people anymore. As far as I know, God’s never told me that about anyone or anything? So what’s my excuse?
I don’t have one. And honestly? Neither do you really. We have this incredible gift that we’re able to commune with the almighty creator of the universe, and we treat it like a burden. In addition to that? We’ve got a responsibility to pray, for everything we know to be praying for, until there is answer to the pray. Whether that answer is what we thought it might be, or what we thought it should be, we have an obligation to pray, pray, pray. Until there is answer. Or, and it’s clearly possible, until God Himself instructs us not to because it’s a lost cause (That’s a hard thing for us to wrap our head around isn’t it? That God could or would consider someone or something a lost cause. While I may be wrong, I do feel as though this text gives some weight to that point). And at that point, you should ask yourself if you had been praying for that person, or that situation, and if you hadn’t been, why not?
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying I have the perfect prayer life. I don’t. It has its ups and downs. I’m striving though to make it more a part of what I do. I’m trying to heed Paul’s instruction to pray without ceasing (There’s no “z” in that word. Please do not pronounce it with one). It is a process. Like everything in our relationship with Jesus. It’s one I look forward to focusing more on. I want to pray more. I dread the day that God specifically instructs me not to pray for something. I hope it never comes, but how will I know if I’m not actively engaging Him there? Pray with me.
Grace & Peace,
David Stippick
*Don’t worry. I don’t use The Message for my personal study and what not, and I don’t encourage that you do. I just liked the way it was worded there, and I don’t think there is anything lost.
