Posture of Prayer

Friends, I got schooled this week by God. And I needed it.

The other day I was on my knees lamenting to God over a list of things I've been praying about where I have yet to see movement of any kind--well, unless you count backwards movement. I reminded him of the verses in HIS word that said we need to ask--in some places he even encourages us to be persistent! You find this message in many forms throughout the Bible, and so there I sat, reminding him that I was, once again, asking only to see no results. And as my lamenting went on he stopped me with these simple words:

Child, you haven't been asking for these things, you've been whining about them. Whining is not the same as asking.

Oh, boy. I nearly got offended. Nearly. Except, he was right! 

Friends, there is absolutely nothing wrong with crying out to God about issues that plague us or areas where life seems stagnant and we know that we know that we know that God can move in them. However, we cannot get stuck there! We cannot turn our times of prayer into times of whining. That stops our battle in its tracks! We need to be actively seeking him in the midst of our situation even when it seems our situation has stalled out. Whining will get us nowhere, but James 5:16 says that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Bemoaning something isn't effective, but asking, seeking, and calling out to God (which is what he tells us to do!) moves him on our behalf. We shake the heavenlies with our prayers and that shifts to right here on earth.

Today I'm challenging you to look at the posture of prayer you've taken lately. Could it be that you're whining more than your asking? I admit, I was. But that stops today.