This article has been previously published on my blog here as well as on Our Daily Journey here. We can learn to use the tips below especially for Bible reading.

conrade

This article is first published at YAPDATES.
TITLE: KEEP PRAYING
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 16 Sep 2011

“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thess 5:17)

Have you ever prayed but felt that God is slow in answering your prayers? Have you ever prayed for a loved one to come to Jesus, but to no avail? Have you ever fasted and interceded for someone in your family to get right with God, but nothing seems to be happening?

You are not alone. This is one of the biggest mysteries surrounding prayer. Does prayer work? Is prayer hallucination? For all the questions and all the uncertainties, all it takes is one clear answer, and like smoke evaporating into the sky, the doubts will clear up. In the meantime, we need to learn to pray. We need to cultivate holy waiting. We need to practice spiritual mindfulness that God will work according to His good time. One of the most intriguing verses in the Bible is the one on prayer, where Peter writes about the Lord’s patient work.

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9)

I like to draw attention to three things in this passage. Firstly, it is not our time but God's time. The Scripture tells us that time is determined by the Lord. We can plan our ways, but it is the Lord who directs. We can structure our time schedules, but it is the Lord who decides. We can try to move things along, but it is the Lord who dictates. We can move bodies, but it is the Lord who moves hearts. The Lord moves by His Spirit. We need to move in step with the Spirit, primarily in prayer.

Secondly, what is slow to man is not slow to God. If we acknowledge that time is in God's hands, our definition of 'slowness' takes on a whole new meaning. Think about how our impatience has brought more trouble. Think about how foolish it is to overtake the car in front of us, only to be stopped at the next traffic junction a block away. Think about the frustrations inside us, when our version of fast, is not fast enough for our bosses. It is not slow or fast but timely that matters. A friend of mine said this to me many years ago that has stayed with me.

"God is seldom early, never late, but always on time."

Is it a sin to worry? Some say that biblically, worry is a sin. Others disagree saying that there are legitimate concerns. Whether worry is a sin or not, the fact is, humanly speaking, we all worry. Some worry more, others worry less. After all, when Jesus say, DO NOT WORRY, He is speaking into the reality of the human condition. He is not concerned about intellectual gymnastics about whether worry is a sin or not. He is interested in the FREEDOM from worry. Jesus tells us about the more important things in life, that our lives comprise more than mere food, clothing, or feeding ourselves.

Jesus tells us the futility of worry.

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matt 6:27)

He tells us about how the wisest man on earth, Solomon, could not even be compared to how God dresses up the flowers of the fields (6:29).