The Church of Teddy 6.7.09

“It is not so much that “prayer changes things as that prayer changes me and I change things. God has so constituted things that prayer on the basis of redemption alters the way in which a man looks at things. Prayer is not a question of altering things externally, but of working wonders in a man’s disposition.” – Oswald Chambers

Prayer is one of those funny things that in my life I’ve always had trouble grasping. Catholics pray about everything and to anyone who will listen. As a child I can remember there seemed to be a special prayer for everything in life. It it wasn’t a novena prayed to a saint for a series of days it was a prayer to Mary. If you grew up a Protestant or Catholic, you probably heard the argument that Catholics only prayed to the Saints and to Mary, but never actually to God. If you were a Catholic your answer would be that you prayed through the Saints and Mary and asked them for guidance and prayer but also prayed to Jesus. There seems to be a lot of little disagreements like this when it comes to discussions about the aforementioned sects of Christianity. Regardless, I’m not sure it was until later in my life that I understood prayer and its effect on my life. It was also much later in my life when I actually started praying in a way that made sense. 

The quote above by Oswald Chambers, really sums up how I think prayer should be used. Prayer often gets a bad reputation because many Christians are seen using it as the answer for everything. This may or may not be an accurate depiction, but there are many that fall to prayer the minute something goes wrong in their life. Perhaps that prayer is not really a call for God to change the events of this world, but to help ones soul. I’m not saying you won’t see me on my knees saying “Please Jesus” if the Michigan Wolverines are trailing late in a game but I try to be a bit more realistic about the use of prayer. I use prayer mainly to search for answers and to maintain focus on the things that are most important in my life. The reality is that God does not change things as easily as one would want, but by demonstrating his love I can change things. 

I chose this hymn, O Love That Will Not Let Me Go, for a few reasons. First, it’s probably one of the most beautiful hymns I have ever heard and the incomparable David Phelps truly delivers. Additionally, when looking up the origins of the hymn, it has quite a unique story. The writer, George Matheson, was suffering a supposed mental breakdown when he wrote this. He stated later that he felt that the song was coming from some inward voice rather than himself. It reminds me of all those times that I’ve felt completely down and looked to God for answers. It’s in those times that God has a tendency to hold a mirror up and remind me that most of it is on me.