I have sometimes been amused, but more frequently, I have been driven to serious thought by some prayers that are being sent aloft. Primarily the prayers that I understand are being offered by opposing sides. In our very competitive sports oriented country opposing teams and those who support them quite often petition the Lord to bless their team that they will win. Is it appropriate to petition God to favor one team over another. Is there a winning and losing side of prayer? Or could one team be favored based on the length or emotion expressed in the voice of the one offering their petition? Can we really believe that God has a hand in the outcome of a game of sports? Do some imagine that God might wear a Green Bay Packers emblem, or some other choice, on his robe? On the other hand, with combat sports, where the activity could cause very serious injuries a more appropriate prayer would be one for safety from injury, and that all the participants play fair and enjoy themselves.
There is a story about a young boy who entered his home-made car in the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby in his community. His father was unwilling to help him with his car so it was not nearly as fancy or streamlined as the others. However, with its wobbly wheels it kept winning until the finale race. The last two cars were ready to race when the boy ask for a minute to say a prayer and when he was done the race began. His car came in first and he leaped in the air with a loud “Thank you” as the crowd cheered in approval. The Scout Master came up to the boy with microphone in hand and asked him if he had prayed to win? The young boy answered, “Oh, no sir. That wouldn’t be fair to ask God to help you beat someone else. I just asked Him to make it so I don’t cry when I lose.” Some children seem to have wisdom that far exceeds their years.
There are also the humble and the proud sides of prayer. On the humble side, prayers of gratitude are always appropriate and, I’m sure, are welcomed on Heaven’s front. For they portray souls who have taken inventory of their blessings and seek nothing more but what God wills for all. We can, appropriately, ask for health and happiness for our family and for assistance in becoming kind and loving people with the strength and energy to serve our fellow beings. In regards to things, they are primarily interested in being blessed with only those things necessary for their survival and sustenance.
On the proud side, I believe that we may too often pray with a very narrow and self-centered perspective, describing in detail what nice but unnecessary things the Lord might give us to bless our lives: a nice house, the fanciest car in the neighborhood, etc. God should not be imaged as a jolly gift giver managing a large warehouse full of things that we may ask him for. He should not be seen as one taking notes of the various requests as prayers fly aloft. We often pursue worldly things in opposition to His wise advice, especially if we must go into debt to obtain them. The Lord admonishes us that we, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures of war where country is pitched against country, with hundreds and even thousands of lives at stake. Each side, with God fearing families, are fearful for the loss of their freedom, their lands, their livelihood, and even their very lives. Each side sends innumerable prayers heaven-ward for the successful missions and safety of their sons and soldiers. Is it an easy thing for God, who loves all His children and who answers all our prayers in some way and time.
This question will always haunt the thoughtful believer. What kind of prayers should be sent aloft by those opposing sides? During the Civil War one of Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet ministers told the President that he hoped that ‘the Lord is on our side’. Lincoln’s response was, “I am not at all concerned about that…But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord’s side.”A prayer should primarily be an expression of our gratitude. I appreciate what Melody Beattie said; “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” The Lord is a just God, the words of our prayers should be carefully formed lest we offend. May God bless us to pray humbly for mercy and justice for ourselves and for others. We should pray to understand the Gospel Plan and what we can do help Him. Being on His side might very well include helping Him with his work. ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’ Even those that have passed on to the other side of the veil. (Matt. 6: 19-20)