Better Prayer through the Gospel

Just re-read A Praying Life by Paul Miller

This is what I have come away with. When we pray we should pray as children of God. He is our father who desires to answer our request. We should ask with confidence that he will listen. We pray this way by realizing that without God we can do nothing. We believe this in theology and theory but we do not LIVE this way.

examples. 1. We don't pray for our daily bread. Because we don't have to worry about what we will eat tomorrow we don't have to pray for it. We have it under control so we do not needs God's assist with it. (at least this is how we live, we may answer the question differently). 2. In the same way with family or with work or with any problem we encounter, if we know the solution to the problem then we do not have to pray about it. If we know the solution, then all we have to do is that, the solution. We don't need God's help, the requirement for success is evident. Ironically our solution often makes it more complex.

It seems our theology that we need God for everything and our prayer lives are in a disconnect, (mine is) I depend on myself for so many things, work, finances, relationships, change, growth. Prayer bends our hearts towards our father and confesses regularly that we can do nothing without him.

This "childlike" type prayer really creates in us a "learned helplessness". We must remind our selves through our need for prayer that we need Christ for everything. This is what I gained from the book the second (okay first and a half) time through. Prayer is demonstrating the Gospel to ourselves over and over. Prayer succeeds not through our being good at it, it succeeds as we realize we need God and we lean on him for help.

"Jesus isn't just the savior of my soul. He's also the savior of my prayers. Asking in Jesus' name isn't another thing i have to get right so my prayers are perfect. It is one more gift of God because my prayers are so imperfect."

Anyone catching a theme with this whole Jesus thing? We are weak, Jesus is strong. When we understand we are weak, Jesus makes us strong. Repeat.

See the beauty in there? That is what Jesus did. He made him self weak first so that we can follow him and he can raise us both up with him (cue turney quoting Philippians 2)
The only reason that is possible, the gospel is possible and prayer is possible is because Jesus is infinite enough as God to receive our prayers and to change us and also personal enough to care about us.

Praise God for difficult circumstances and suffering because they make us aware of our weaknesses, or dependency on God and drive us to him through prayer.

Cling to the Gospel. It will drive us to prayer.