Homework

Our math homework this weekend is to read ahead into the next chapter we will be studying.  Our Ministry Training Class homework is simply to pray.  There is  nothing like reading ahead in a math book to get me praying!  Math 601 is going well, but when I see what's up ahead I get panicked.  This is a college course and the grade I make counts forever.  That makes me nervous so I read ahead, pray big and study hard. 

Prayer.  Now there is an assignment you don't see often.  Pastor Pat McDonald stated it perfectly in a facebook post when he stated that the greatest obstacle in restarting a prayer life is getting past the condemnation we experience because we have stopped praying.  How true that is!  Much like falling behind in school tempts us to give up and settle for a barely passing grade, we get tempted to do the same in our walk with God when our prayer life has dwindled.  We get tempted to settle and let fate takes it's course.  Not only is such a choice spiritually dangerous, it robs us of the riches we have in God; it limits what we receive from Him, know of Him and, most sadly, it limits simply knowing Him.

The call to prayer sounds intimidating.  How much time should I spend in prayer to pass this class?  What do I pray about?  One moment in prayer erased those questions because prayer is not about passing a class.  Prayer is about knowing the heart of God.   God's concepts are eternal and He is not giving us grades.  He is longing  for relationship, not prized students.  He calls us children, friends, sheep and all kinds of affectionate words.  Simply stated, fellowship with Him in prayer is a time of being embraced as His child, honored as His friend, rescued as His lambs.  Prayer is the first step in realizing a love that changes you from the inside out, and gives you the heart to see others know that love. 

I love homework.