Over the last couple of months, I have been praying differently. I no longer pray for the safety of my family and friends. Don’t get me wrong, I still pray for their well-being, but praying specifically for their safety began to feel off as I was praying it. As I thought about why this wasn’t ringing true to me, I recalled reading and hearing a few stories where someone had prayed for their family’s safety and then something happened. Many were very angry with God and some even walked away from a relationship with Him for a short period of time, but some never could bring themselves to go back to Him.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be specific with your prayers. The Bible even tells us to do so:
1 John 5:14-15 New International Version (NIV)
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
The part that stands out to me in these verses is that when we pray specifically it should be according to His will. This is part of the reason for the change in my prayers. When I pray for my family, I ask God for Him to keep my family, friends, etc. in His care. As I’ve been praying this way, I have been filled with calm. I have come to understand God’s sovereignty better. Keeping my child safe the way I want them to be safe may not be what is best for them.
I have no idea what the future holds for anyone, but God does. He has full authority and rule over everything. He loves those close to me more than I can even think about loving them. Through all of my ups and downs in life, many of the hard times have grown and changed me in such positive ways that an easier life probably never would have done.
As I have contemplated this change in my prayers, it has opened up my heart and mind more to the wonder of God and His plans for us. This is the beginning of a series about His sovereignty. A new post will appear each Friday. I have a few guest writers who will be contributing to the series as well. I hope it will bless you and I’d love to hear your stories of God’s sovereignty in your life. It would be great to take those stories and feature some of them in the series as well.
~ Joanna Lynn
