Tim Hansel in his book "When I Relax, I feel Guilty," writes some insights of what most people want from God.
"I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don't want enough of Him to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant. I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please."
If we would be totally honest, the idea of transformation really scares us. That is because we know that such a radical change would be quite uncomfortable. We realize that with transformation comes a major overhaul of our lives and priorities.
Although we often want the outcomes of transformation, we rarely want the work of transformation! We want a lean muscular body without the work of exercise and sacrifice of diet changes. We want a bigger bank account without the work to be trained or educated in stronger sectors of employment. We want happy homes without the work of sacrificing for others, forgiveness, and serving others. Transformation is a spiritual work that can only be accomplished via a spiritual means. Transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit! Such transformation is accessible when faith in God and mankind’s deeds work together. The Lord God almighty does the work of empowering, and we must do the work of yielding. We must yield our thoughts, our desires, our choices, and our habits to God. This is a high order indeed! We desperately need the Lord! The believer must pray!
1. Personal Communication
“I will not let thee go”
One family attended church in Kentucky and watched an especially verbal and boisterous child being hurried out, slung under his irate father's arm. No one in the congregation so much as raised an eyebrow -- until the child captured everyone's attention by crying out in a charming Southern accent, "Ya'll pray for me now!" (Source: Jean McMahon (Dyer, Ind.) in Reader's Digest, April 1980.)
Some life situations seem more urgent than others; but the call to pray over all of life’s situations falls squarely on the believer. “Men ought always to pray!” (Luke 18:1)
2. Personal Connection
“I will not let thee go”
“Pray as if everything depends on God, then work as if everything depends on you.” Martin Luther
This is boldness! (Heb. 4:16) We are not bold because we believe we deserve God’s blessings. We are bold because God tells us to be so in our prayer to Him.
This is power! God is the source of all we enjoy today (Col. 1:16-18). Going to God gives Him the glory as the only one who is able to meet my needs (better than any other option). Remember though, Jacob went through much before he wanted to go to God!
This is necessity! I won’t find the solution to my burdens anywhere else. I need God (John 9:33; 15:5; II Cor. 13:8)
3. Personal Comfort
“…until thou bless me”
Dr. Helen Roseveare, missionary to Zaire, told the following story. "A mother at our mission station died after giving birth to a premature baby. We tried to improvise an incubator to keep the infant alive, but the only hot water bottle we had was beyond repair. So we asked the children to pray for the baby and for her sister. One of the girls responded. 'Dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, send a doll for the sister so she won't feel so lonely.' That afternoon a large package arrived from England. The children watched eagerly as we opened it. Much to their surprise, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to dig deeper, exclaiming, 'If God sent that, I'm sure He also sent a doll!' And she was right! The heavenly Father knew in advance of that child's sincere requests, and 5 months earlier He had led a ladies' group to include both of those specific articles." (Source Unknown)
The Lord truly desires His best for our lives! Such goodness is accessible through prayer. Jacob’s life was transformed in this Genesis 32 encounter. The one who had been known as the deceiver would be used of God to father 12 sons that would later form the 12 tribes of Israel. His life would be saved from a vengeful brother bent on murdering him, and he would raise a young man (Joseph) who would rise to second in command of all of Egypt and save many a people from annihilation amid a fierce famine. His life took a powerful turn when he finally stopped running away, turned to God, and prayed! In what direction are you running? May we the church be powerful men and women of prayer!