Prayer is not prime.
Coming from a preacher, those words may force a double take. How could a “man of the cloth” say that prayer is not prime?
To be clear, prayer is imperative for a healthy spiritual life. When I say, “Prayer is not Prime,” I’m talking about a different kind of “prime.” The prime that has primed all our hearts. Amazon Prime.
Online shoppers around the globe have hastened to its hype. Who doesn’t want free shipping, next day, or even same day delivery? Amazon Prime makes the world turn.
Even so, prayer is not prime. Many believe that once they pray, God’s delivery will arrive possibly today definitely by tomorrow. All “shipping costs” will be covered.
But that’s not God’s routine schedule or fee schedule. And when it doesn’t happen, they disgustingly sigh and frustratingly declare, “Prayer doesn’t work.”
Be careful, my friend.
God is not bound to our timelines, and He doesn’t rush at the pace of our impatience. Sometimes His answer is “yes,” and we rejoice. Sometimes it’s “no,” and we wrestle. And more often than we’d like, His answer is “wait,” which might be the hardest answer of all. Waiting stretches us. It deepens our faith, humbles our hearts, and teaches us to trust in ways we never imagined.
And yet, James says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5: 16, NIV) “Powerful” doesn’t mean immediate. “Effective” doesn’t mean instant.
God’s timing can be more of a crockpot than a microwave. Don’t rush His process. Don’t cancel the order. God is always working and He’s never late. |
