The Far Away God

Seriously, how content are you for God to be absent from your day-to-day activities? Don’t you really only want Him to be present when you intentionally invite Him in? Are you only inviting Him in when you need His power for healing, provision, or protection? If you can discern that about yourself, how obvious must it be to God?

Whenever someone asks me to pray for them, my first thought is that they’re supposed to have their own relationship with God. It’s not that I don’t want them to receive the prayer response that they’re hoping for, but I don’t advise God or give Him suggestions. That’s not the God that I serve. He is all knowing, and I am not.  He has more love, grace, and mercy than I could ever have. He has justice and power that is not afforded to me. So, what good would it do for me to go to God asking Him to do something that could be counter-productive to His plans?

I can love people without advising God. Whenever, someone asks me to pray for them, I do pray. My prayer is “God, is there anything that you want me to do for them?” Because I’m determined to be obedient to God, if He tells me to help the person, I’m going to do my best to walk out His plans. However, know this, God may be using their need as a way to draw them closer to Him. If they are usually content with God being far away, then their need may be intentional so that they learn to invite God in.  

My life before learning to listen for God in prayer, was empty of God’s presence. In those days, I was a powerful prayer warrior who had lists upon lists of suggestions for God. That’s how the church taught me to pray. They put out prayer request lists and constantly asked if there was anyone that needed prayer. They did not teach me to listen for God in prayer. They ruined my prayer life by their example and instruction. They wasted 40 years of my life by causing me to counsel God in prayer rather than receive His counsel. They made my God a far away God that didn’t want to be part of my life except for when anyone, including myself, was in need. So, if that’s all God had to work with, He at least used it for a purpose. I learned to carry the burdens of others and to see hurting people in every level of society. We all need God. You must know, though, that kind of prayer life made me judge God rather than love Him.

These daily posts hopefully challenge you to seek God to know Him. I have repeatedly offered to help you learn to hear God’s voice in prayer. It’s life changing. It requires a new level of dedication. You know that the disciples of Jesus had to leave home, spouse, family and everything behind to follow Jesus. Do you have a disciple’s heart or one that would rather ignore God except in need? Because, listen, He can provide all the need-scenarios that you’re looking for and a joyless life without Him. Invite Him in or hold Him at a distance, the choice is yours.

Please contact me if you would like to be part of one of the upcoming local group Bible studies on “The Covenant Voice of God”. It’s part of my mission from God to teach others to hear His voice in prayer. I can be reached at TammieEdwards@therogueprophet.com.