For the last few weeks , our pastor has been taking us through prayer in the Old Testament during our mid-week meetings.

These are some of the things that I learned:

1) Moses’ tireless intercessory prayers were a dialogue not a monologue.

2) Willful prayer is getting our own way in prayer as a judgement from God. We saw that in the life of Balaam.

3) Grief and prayer are, or should be, profoundly linked. Grief that does not find its way to God in prayer cannot be addressed and healed.

Yes, this we learned from the prayer life of Job as well. I would not suggest that believers ought to “model” their grief after the pattern of Job or anyone else. I would insist, however, that when believers find themselves grieving like Job, they are in good and godly company.

Grief is a highly individual thing. It differs just as persons differ—in temperament, experience, dependency, spiritual condition. For some there comes instantly a peace and a reigning calm. For others this peace is hard-won. Before calm may be emotional collapse, a response perfectly natural and not to be condemned. Whichever occurs, God has a way of making himself especially real to us in our times of acute emotional need (Ron Horton; see Mood Tides).

Last year Lily showed a lack of desire in praying her night time prayers. After some probing this was her answer: “What if he says no?”

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About Lina Wardan

Lina grew up in Lebanon but studied at Bible college in Sydney. Lina, and her husband Tony, then served as missionaries in Lebanon for seven years before moving back to Sydney, Australia. Lina oversees the Sunday School ministries at Fellowship Baptist Church. Lina has four children.

One Comment

  1. Jason Harris 2 July, 2009 at 11:22 am - Reply

    Thanks for that post. That was particularly appropriate this week.

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