Sometimes when I pray.. I pray to a far-0ff God, a Father who hears and listens but isn’t 100% sure of what’s going on in my life. I imagine this father to be much like my dad, who knows about my life but can’t fully get there with me. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just an outsiders perspective of what’s going on or not going on in my life.

This is not so with Jesus.

Jesus flips the paradigm of this whole idea completely on its head and reveals himself to be the insider of human suffering and pain.

Having then a great high priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in time of need.

Hebrews 4:14-16 ASV

I think this changes the entire way we pray. Imagine praying for the sick with the compassion of  a God who is actually in the room, feeling the pain of sickness.. of cancer.. of heart disease.. .of anything you can think of… and staying in that place of prayer. I don’t think it would be a casual request of an outside God or an appeal based solely on ‘promises’ or on His word… but our appeals would be on the basis of His love and compassion.

If we really have a high priest who is touched by our infirmities and by our temptations, I think it’s more than ok to pray like He feels it. As a matter of fact, I think it’s necessary. Remember the blind guys on the road from Jericho in Matthew 20, they cried out for Mercy and the bible says that Jesus was moved with compassion for them… and He healed them. The High Priest of all things, the Son of Man, the righteous King of the Universe is moved with compassion, moved with deep never-ending love because He LITERALLY feels our pain and fully understands it.

So quit being standoffish, quit delaying what God wants to do and start crying out with all the depth of your soul. He knows your anguish, He knows your pain… He knows… and is ready to move with compassion.

grace and peace to you,

-hadsell

I know life can get busy, overwhelming, frustrating, enjoyable or otherwise. It can get so _________ (insert your favorite adjective) that we easily neglect to pray and seek God for ourselves. We begin to rely on others, on something we experienced a few months back, a special sermon or a great night of worship. For others we just forget it all together and allow the guilt of not looking for God to keep pushing us back until we just don’t feel like dealing with it all.

My simple hope this morning is that we would become people of His presence. It takes discipline and practice, but it is incredibly important for our lives and for those around us.

You can be a person permeated by the presence of God, it’s right there… waiting on you to pause long enough to admit your desperate need for God. Take some time today and get on your face, turn off the tv and the computer, hide from everyone that knows you… dinner can wait… that person can wait.. e-mails can wait.. it all can wait. Go seek the Lord. It will be the best thing you’ve done in a long time.

love to you,

hadsell