So, I’m into podcasts right now because I love to hear what people are thinking. The other day, I was listening to one of Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations with Rob Bell, and the title of this post is the statement that gripped me. It was his response to Oprah’s question, “What does prayer mean to you?”. Over the years, I’ve heard so much about what prayer is and how it’s supposed to be, but this statement really caused me to pause and think about my personal prayer life.
To be honest, I don’t pray nearly as much as I used to pray in previous “seasons”, if you will. I know for sure, I reached a point where I didn’t need to schedule prayer into my day because my communication with God was so consistent that I felt He was a part of every minute of my life. I shared with Him and acknowledged Him through out the day and didn’t wait until before bed to tell Him about what was going on in my life. Then, some things in life began to go sour, (and I’m not the type of person that continues in routine), so that open line of communication constricted over time and I found myself reverting back to marked moments of prayer. The issue with that was that I could suddenly track my prayer history and say things like the last time I prayed was 3 days ago. I’d begin to condemn myself and feel terrible about this prayer life that has diminished so much.
But Rob Hill’s statement was so freeing to me. It made prayer so much more simple than what I had been expecting of myself. In his response, He followed “yes” with “I’m open, what’s next”. And while I knew that being open wasn’t my exact sentiment when I heard him say it, I still understood that, my relationship with God is that simple.
I’ve been saying a lot lately that I feel God speaks in bottom lines to me. And the most enduring bottom line I’ve heard is “I want you to trust me“. God wants us to believe that His love for us will not only sustain us but propel us through all hardship, whether it’s the consequences of a bad decision or the pain of a tragic loss. He wants us to be open and ask “What’s next”. When you stop asking what’s next, you stop living. You reject new life and the possibility of restoration.
Jesus is the greatest example of this! He knew death was coming. And even then He said “What’s next”. Only to discover that He’d live again and have all power on the next go ’round. Man, the gospel is so powerful. If only we’d believe it!
So, don’t allow man’s laws or expectations to cause you to condemn yourself. God knows where you are and His love frees, it heals, and it embraces!
Say yes for the kingdom,
Kiana
Reference:
Apple Podcast Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations with Rob Bell: Let’s Talk about God
kingdomkonversationsxkiana.com 