Cowboys Vs. Vampires
Without a prayer life you will become a relational Cowboy or a Vampire....
Without a prayer life you will become a relational Cowboy or Vampire. You will ride off into the sunset alone or suck the life out of others in the dark.
Isolation or Idolatry.
These are the inevitable relationships of prayer-less people.
Meaningful relationships cannot endure without a meaningful prayer life.
Let me be more clear– Meaningful relationships with people cannot endure without a meaningful relationship in prayer with God.
The prayer-less person may tilt toward their own strength and fall into Isolation.
The independent disciple will forge ahead in her own strength. She’ll get going when the going gets tough. She’ll run out ahead when she’s feeling good and find herself ahead of the pack, but alone. She’ll run out of gas at some point and retreat till she fills her own tank… only a matter of time till she runs out again.
The isolated person doesn’t see the mountain of grace God has given them. They have either faced less significant trials or been blessed with unique strengths that they have mutated into a delusion of personal strength.
In God’s kindness, life may get too heavy for the isolated disciple to carry.
But without a prayer life she can easily fall into the ditch of Idolatry in her relationships.
Co-dependent people are not God-dependent people.
The co-dependent disciple will fuel her life by sucking life from others. She’ll move only when others move for her or with her. She’ll run only with the pack and only feel good when she’s not alone. She’ll suck her relationships dry at some point and find herself burning out friendships… only a matter of time till she burns the next new friend out.
In God’s kindness, people may demonstrate they are unable to sustain her life.
Will she turn to prayer? I certainly hope so.
Which relationship ditch do you fall in?
Isolation or Idolatry? Cowboy or Vampire?
Who is the first person you tell about something exciting?
Who is the first person you pour your heart out to?
Who do you vent to?
Who do ask for guidance?
Who do you invite to hold you accountable?
If can’t think of a name you are a Cowboy. You need some friends. Most importantly you need a prayer life. In fact, a prayer life will enable friendship because you will grow in comfort with the humility/vulnerability that allows real friendships to thrive. You will die if you try to survive on your limited strength.
If thought of a name that isn’t Jesus Christ, you are a Vampire. Your friends would love for you to grow your prayer life. They can’t bear the wait of your life and theirs at the same time. They want to minister to you but feel the pain of playing God for you, even if they can’t put words to it. They’ll bleed with you but you need to stop sucking their lifeblood. They will rejoice to enter into struggles with the strength God supplies. They will die if you try to take their limited strength from them for your struggles.1
Can you see the beauty of the relationship of prayer for your relationships?
You can depend on God in a way that no human could handle. He will enable you to rightly embrace the blessings that other humans can offer!
This doesn’t merely apply to friends–your counselor, pastor, mentor, or parent can’t hear your pain and bear your struggles with the limitless strength of God. Don’t ask them to.