There is a central theme that seems to permeate my life right now. It has invaded my prayer life, my study of Scripture, and consumes my thoughts. It is desperation. While reading the other day, I came across this passage in Isaiah 38.
King Hezekiah got some bad news. God's prophet had just told him that he was going to die. "Get your affairs in order. Things aren't looking good, Hezekiah." This was the word of the Lord. It seemed it was a done deal. But Hezekiah didn't lie down and die. He got desperate. He prayed out of utter desperation for God to have mercy. The Bible says that God replied, "I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears."
I believe that we don't see answers to prayer because we're not desperate. Furthermore, I believe we don't pray because we're not desperate. Someone has said, "Prayer that touches the heart of God is born out of desperation."
Just recently, I knelt at an altar with others crying out to God for healing for a very sick woman in our church. As I listened to the brokenness in the voices of those praying, the sniffles, and outright weeping, I thought of the prayer of Hezekiah. The Scripture says that he "wept bitterly." As I prayed I also was convicted. I was broken that God's house is only a house of prayer when our circumstances become desperate enough. The truth is, if we could really see our spiritual condition, we would be desperate more often than we are. Desperation doesn't depend on our physical circumstances as much as how we view our circumstances. I think we are often blind to how needy we really are.
It is so easy to "do" church, go about our lives and not see our desperate need for Jesus. Michael Catt, the pastor of Sherwood Baptist (the church that produced Facing the Giants and Fireproof) says, "I believe we won't seek God until we are desperate. If you aren't desperate, it's because you've got your head in the sand."
We talk about how our nation is in such moral decline, but are we really broken about it? We boast in our fellowship among the body of Christ, but are we broken over the lost all around us? We're not desperate. The fact that we're not desperate ought to make us desperate! Oh God, make me more desperate!
If we cry out to God, He will hear us. He will see our tears and He will answer us. God is so eager to answer the prayers of His desperate children. In his book, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, Jim Cymbala says, “God is attracted to weakness. He can’t resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need Him.”
Amen! Amen! Amen! Pray for me that I might come to complete desperation! Thank you, my brother!
ReplyDeleteGunter - I am in awe that you wrote about this. I stayed home from work yesterday getting over this stomach bug, and as I sat praying and getting ready to read the Bible - I had no idea what I was going to read, but I prayed that God would lead me to a passage of comfort not only for my sickness but for ALL the sickness around me - Mrs. Jan, Mr. Bill, the list goes on....when I opened my Bible - guess the exact page I opened it to: Isaiah 38 and the part where Hezekiah began to praise God for his healing....WOW - is all I can say!
ReplyDeleteGunter, thank u for your obedience. Last Sunday after you shared, I realized that even though I read and pray daily, I'm not desperate. I don't do it out of desperation but as daily rituals. Thank u for that revelation from God's word for me. Thank u brother!!!
ReplyDeleteGunter, thank u for your obedience. I realized Sunday after u shared that I'm not desperate. Even though I read and pray daily, I'm still not desperate, I do it out of daily rituals or repetitions. Thank u for that revelation from God's word. Please pray for me that I become more desperate. Thanks, Jason
ReplyDeleteIt took a lot in my life to happen to realize that I needed a speration for GOD. I was also convicted even more around the crying and weeping and begging for mercy for Jan. GOD has done GREAT, AMAZING and WONDERFUL things this week, and it shows in so many ways. I am so glad to know that the loved ones I have recently lost were SAVED and are now in paradise with our SAVIOR! Thank you GOD for what you have done in EVERYONE'S lives. Thank you for all your blessings you have poured out. May we turn them all around back to praise for you! I pray that we all gain DESPERATION for REVIVAL. Teach and convict us so that we may be TOTALLY DESPERATE for you! DO IT LORD THAT YOUR GLORY MAY BE SEEN! Amen.
ReplyDeleteIf it doesn't move your heart, it's not going to move His.
ReplyDelete"Blessed are the POOR in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."
To see His will "on earth as it is in Heaven," we must be poor in spirit (desperate).