You’re What?

You’re What?

A very good friend of mine who usually has a comment about my posts has been strangely silent since my last one.  He and his wife came to visit Cindy and I on our boat yesterday and I found out why. 

I was quite surprised when he said that my last Letter from Roscoe left him in a state where he “Just didn’t know what to say.”  A condition that is quite unusual for this man.  (Chuckle, chuckle)

As an example he cited my prayer to God asking that it not rain on me during my journey home.  He asked “What if God had intended for the rain to make you stop somewhere, and perhaps meet someone . . . ?” 

I have the feeling that perhaps my friend thought my prayer ‘frivolous’.  That maybe when we pray it should be for bigger items than ‘Father, please don’t let me get wet.’  He is more learned than me, and I treasure his opinion, but if that is the way he thinks, I believe him to be mistaken.

I think God wants us to talk to him constantly.  (1 Thessalonians 5:17)  He wants us to be intimate with him and to be intimate we must be able to say anything and everything to him, right?  I mean, He already knows it anyway.  It is only by this ability of being able to openly confide every single little thing to someone that you can build that trusting relationship.  It’s the same way with God, except he already has a relationship with us.  It’s us that need to build the relationship with Him!  I know God hears my prayers.  He decides how He wants to answer them and when.  If He intended for the rain to stop me somewhere so I could interact with someone, He simply would have made it happen.

I believe it is only through that kind of open dialogue that we can become closer to God. 

I recently bought a copy of ‘Jesus Calling’ for Cindy and another one for me. I also bought us journals and following Cindy’s lead I began writing my prayers out each day.  By writing them it allows me to open up more, and say things more openly without being hampered by trying to speak out loud or make conversation something I am terrible at anyway.  I find myself praying longer and more openly than when I tried to ‘speak’ to God.  My relationship with God is improving.  I am talking to him more, about more things and more openly.  I feel I’m getting closer to Him.

Are all of my prayers frivolous? 

Absolutely not.  I pray for my wife, my family, members of my church.  (James 5:16) I even pray for me sometimes.  Because like I said before, in an intimate relationship you talk about everything including your brothers in Christ.

But in parting, I will voice a prayer that may sound ‘frivolous’ to some; I pray my friend receives this message and understands that it is one good friend talking to another and that I hope my next message doesn’t leave him ‘speechless’.

Roscoe
(Christian in Training)