Prayer, Hope, Outcomes And The Lord
When we pray do we pray for the outcome, the fulfilment of our prayer? Or is our hope simply in the Lord himself? And we're pleased and content with him regardless of the prayer?
Maybe this sounds like some trite christian sayings. But consider this. Consider the possibility that I don't mean that common trite statements. Consider the possibility that I do actually mean something completely different.
What if praying brought you to happy tears? What if praying made you want to dance? Regardless of whether God was going to answer your prayer the way you hope or not.
My hope is in you Lord, not the outcome.
What if there was a place where you are actually, truly overcome with happiness just by praying? Not some false, fake mental gymnastics where you compell yourself, or lie to yourself, or pretend to be in that state. But genuinely feel it when you pray. And God has not even answered yet, but you actually feel it.
What if some of those people you see jumping with happiness for God are actually genuine like King David in the Old Testament?
What if it was real?
My hope is in you Lord, not the outcome.
I fully admit there are some lying Christians out there. I fully admit there are some self absorbed attention ____ing Christians out there who do things for their own glory. I also fully admit some people pretend just to try to fit in, or because they feel pressured or not good enough if they don't. Yes all of those things are true.
But what if, even the most stoic or serious person could be overcome with happiness just by praying. Not a false warm fuzzy, not a happiness that comes from codependence, desire, attention, companionship. Not a happiness that comes from things or people or doing something. But a happiness that spawns within you, not from something outside of you inward. A happiness that has no rhyme or reason. A happiness that shouldn't happen, because why should it? All you're doing is praying right?
What if it was real?
My hope is in you Lord, not the outcome.