‘God, who can I pray for?’

I didn’t plan it to be like this. When I started out on this journey of Reckless Obedience, I honestly didn’t know how it would play out. But everything fell in place with a beautiful symmetry that is every writer’s dream. I didn’t plan it to be like this— but God did.

It went something like this:

I was standing in church during worship, when we have a time to pray for the people around us. That week, I put my hand up for prayer, and my friends surrounded me and prayed. When they had finished, I felt that I should go pray for someone too. I looked around. No more hands were raised to ask for prayer (like myself, they had already been prayed for) so I asked,

Me: ‘God, who can I pray for?’

Immediately I get a name.

God:  ‘Dianne’

Me: Dianne? Do we have a Dianne at church? Perhaps she is a guest…?

A beat.

Me:  Ohh! Di! You mean Di!

I look over to where Di is sitting.

Me: …God, you know I really like this song.

God: …

Me: Kidding… Well, actually I do really like it, but I’m not going to make that mistake again.

I go over to Di and ask if I can pray for her. She, of course, says ‘yes’.

Later she tells me it was just what she needed— just at the right moment.

Oh… And when I got back to my seat after praying, the worship team repeated the song I like. (Thanks God)

What is obedience?
I think it is more than simply doing what you are told…
Why do we obey?
Is it through fear? Or is it through love and trust?

Back when I hesitated to pray for Janine at Youth Alive (read here) I asked God, ‘why?’ He said, ‘the more time you spend with me, the quicker you will obey.’

You see, it’s not about God shouting out orders to us; standing there with a big stick if we don’t obey. It’s not even about me or the people I helped when I did obey. (Do you think God needed me to pray for them???)

It is about relationship.

John 15v 14-16 says:

You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. -NIV

We are not some afterthought. God doesn’t just go, ‘Oh hey, since you’re here, can you just…’

He chose us. From the very beginning, He arranged for us to be a part of His grand plan. We are not pawns in this piece. We are not servants and slaves. We are partners and co-heirs with Christ (Rom 8v17)!

This is the next step.

The next step for me came without me realising.

I have shared with you a few outward things that have happened during this journey, but a lot has happened inwardly as well. Never have I felt so close to God. Never have I heard His voice so clearly… and had the faith to trust that I have heard Him— then the courage to act on what He has said. I know God has some big changes ahead for me. It is both exciting and terrifying. But God is with me (always!) and I know it is right.

Though I did not realise I had reached the next step, it came as no surprise to me when I asked— instead of waiting to be told— ‘God, who can I pray for?’

God doesn’t want a passive relationship.

He doesn’t want us to come to Him from time to time. He wants to spend every moment with us.

He doesn’t want us to wait for Him to tell us to do something before we act. He wants us to ask, ‘God, what can I do? …What can we do?’ (Besides, He has already told us what to do in His Word.)

God doesn’t want us to cautiously dip our toes, to test the waters. He wants us to dive right in— and dive deep.

‘But I’m not wearing my bathers!’ You may cry. ‘I’m fully dressed!’

‘So…???’ God replies.

Go on! Be reckless!