“Action carried out in conscious dependence on God is prayer…Persistent prayer is not badgering God. It is refusing to give in to despair, being persistent in goodness, believing that our actions will not be in vain, and asking for God’s help in what we do, without worrying about the observable success or failure of our actions.” (from--The Philosopher and the Gospels, by Keith Ward)
When I walk our dog around our neighborhood, I usually have her on a leash. If I did not, she would chase after rabbits and run into other people’s yards, etc. When we take our dog out to our farmland, we let her run off-leash. She runs and sniffs to her heart’s content while we walk around.
Prayer is actively depending on God without worrying about the outcome. It involves letting go of our expectations. Our hopes, as well as our fears, have to be unleashed. It is not passive resignation. It is active trust and reliance on God. We walk in faith, while we release our prayers out into open fields, knowing that God is in complete control of the outcome.
“Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” (Philippians 4:6 MSG)
Love it! I need to do that with my little new venture I'm undertaking, with God's help.
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