How far are you praying?
long distance relationships are no fun
How far are you praying?
This may be the first time you’ve ever considered that question. Think about it for a second.
A long distance relationship
I enjoy writing letters.
Writing a personal letter on a quality piece of paper feels like a tangible expression of love. For my loved ones, I enjoy leaving a piece of my heart on the table for them. For my congregation, I enjoy leaving a remnant of my shepherding in their hands.
I enjoy the fact that I’m not in the room when they experience the love of the words I write.
Even when I’ve written a letter into hard situations– I relish the distance. I embrace my finite role in the massive scope of what the Spirit is doing.
The Holy Spirit can use my words on the page as surely as He can use my presence in a room… I love embracing my unnecessary–ness through distance.
I write letters with confidence that the Holy Spirit is close to the situation… He’s always in the room and on the job bringing about the glory of Christ.
I do not write letters to God. Do you?
Stop and think again about the original question, “How far are you praying?”
Do you talk with God in prayer like you are writing an email or a letter or a submitting an expense report to a distant Deity in the central offices of Heaven?
Are you writing letters to a far away God? I write a letter in confidence that the Spirit is close to someone and I should pray in confidence that He is close to me!
An intimate friendship
Wouldn’t it be odd for your marriage or a close friend if you wrote letters instead of talking with the person in the room?
You’re struggling to move a heavy couch and instead of saying, “Can you lend me a hand here?” You put down the couch and write out a letter, add a stamp, lick the envelope and drop it in the mail to wait a few days for it to be delivered to the other person inside your walls.
You’re bursting with joy or overcome with sadness and you fill out the online communication form hoping to hear back in 5-7 business days?
It sounds ludicrous but our imagination of prayer is more like this than we want to admit, isn’t it?
God feels far off. Prayer feels slower than snail-mail and less powerful. Distance and Delay are defining words for our conception of prayer.
I don’t want to be unrealistic–Distance and Delay are part of prayer.
But what if we recaptured Communion and Power as real parts as well!?
Jesus Christ didn’t die to atone for the sin separating you from God so that you could send Him an email or write Him a letter. He died to welcome you into fellowship with the Living God.
Jesus Christ didn’t rise and pour out the Spirit of Abundant Life for you to have a long distance relationship.
Jesus Christ didn’t say, “I am with you always.” so that you could live as if He ain’t.
Christian, you have been united with Christ by His Spirit. You have been brought into fellowship with the Father, Son, and the Spirit. You have been given the gift of communion with God. You have the presence and power of the Spirit living in you now because of Jesus. You can enter the Throne Room by kneeling, not by traveling a distance. Jesus’ work and His gift of the Spirit closed the gap between you and God.
You shouldn’t be in a long distance relationship when it cost this much to provide an intimate friendship.
How far are you praying? A shorter distance than your most intimate relationships, if you’re willing to see it.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:13