Hope you are having a great start to 2011. We are back at it now on our regular schedule with Club 56. I know there was a little confusion last Sunday, so I'll let you know we are meeting Sunday mornings as usual. Last week, we discussed "What if I pray really hard and God says no"
We've been talking about prayer over the past month and it is really been good to dig into the bible and see what God says about praying and how He reacts to our prayers. Last Sunday, we were talking about What happens when God says no. And he does say no from time to time. What does that mean?
In the large group lesson, we met Jack - an average guy, who was asking some people in his life if he could do certain things (like skip school to go to a movie, climb to the top of a tree and hang upside down from the top branches, or skateboard while holding on to the bumper of a moving car) In each instance, his request was met with a "no". These questions had pretty obvious potential consequences, so the answer of "no" made sense. they were dangerous, potentially harmful situations. Sometimes, we may pray for things that ultimately will hurt us or hinder our dependence on God. It may seem like the right thing, but in the big picture (which we can never see) it is not the best plan - and it is important to remember that God wants the absolute best for us.
In discussion time, we read 2 Samuel 12. This is a story from David's life. His son is sick and he is fasting and praying that God would heal him. And it doesn't happen. The son dies. David's reaction is to get up from his place on the ground where he had been praying and pleading with God, washed up, changed his clothes, put on some lotion and went to the temple to worship God. What a demonstration of a heart after God. He had Gone through an unimaginable grief and pain, and tempting as it would be for a person to think that God didn't care or had abandoned him, he instead accepted God's answer, and trusted in God's greater plan.
Next, we read 2 Corinthians 12. 7-10 (Our memory verse for the week is verse 9). here Paul tells about something that he is struggling with. We don't have a lot of details, but we know that it is troubling Paul. He says that he has prayed for it to be taken away 3 times, and each time, God says no, that His grace is enough to carry Paul through. He is reminding Paul (and all of us) that we are unable to accomplish anything for God's purpose in our own strength. We are very week and need to rely totally on God in everything we do. That is the lesson that Paul is learning in this passage. And Paul is a trooper. He chooses the humility of accepting his weakness because when things happen he knows and can boast that it is God, active in his life, and nothing he is doing on his own. Can we delight in being weak? Is that an easy lesson to learn? No it isn't, but the joy that comes from seeing God work in our weakness is more than we can believe!
And Finally, we read Mark 14.32-36. In this passage, we see that even Jesus prayed a prayer that God answered with a 'no'. Jesus was a human. He knew the pain and suffering, the agony and loneliness that awaited him, and prayed that He not have to go through it. In this, we see that some prayers need to be answered 'no'. What would have happened if God had okayed this. There would be no cross, no defeated death, no punishment for sin payed and no hope for mankind. God's plan is always the best, even when it doesn't seem like it.
As a side note (And a bonus point) Read the prayer that Jesus prayed in John chapter 17. For 2 bonus points, tell me who Jesus prays for in verse 20-21 and what he prays for for them.
It was another great discussion. I hope you are getting as much out of reading these passages as I am preparing the lessons. It is so cool to get to know God more through His word. It is exciting to look at prayer and what the Bible says about it. Prayer is such a vital part of our relationship with God (it is hard to have a meaningful relationship with someone we don't talk to or spend any time with). Hopefully this unit is helping you get an idea of how to make your prayer life a foundation for your growing relationship with God and your service as his hands and feet to the world around you.
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