A Simple Prayer..…a Profound Response

While on vacation I’ve been reading a book by Jack Frost called Experiencing Father’s Embrace. A few months ago I mentioned to Candy Gilbert, a member of our small group, that I want to know more of God’s love for me – deep in my soul, not just in my head. Candy recommended this book to me, which Susan went out and bought immediately.

I’ve put off reading it…until this week – when I “accidentally” left at home the two books I wanted to take with me for vacation reading. Susan brought Frost’s book with her and it just seemed to be the right time for me to read it. I’m taking my time with each chapter, and in many ways I’m actually praying my way through the book. He offers several prayers that he recommends the reader prays. Here’s one I especially like:

“Father God, I believe that I have been created for love, to experience Your healing love, and to share that love in my relationship with others….I ask You to wrap your arms around me, to comfort me in those areas of hurt and pain, and to fill me up so that I can in turn share Your love with those around me. I make a commitment to ask myself hourly,

“Father, how can I receive Your love and give it to the next person I meet?”

When I read the great commandment of Jesus, to love God with all our hearts, and then read the second great commandment, to love others as ourselves, this question that Frost suggest we ask of the Father seems to be a question that the Lord wants His covenant children to continually ask. And then expect a life-transforming answer.

In my quiet time this morning, God gave me a revelation of His love as I read the story of Hezekiah and his son Manasseh. Hezekiah was one of those rare kings who was committed to the Lord nearly all his life. The one time that he did rebel and became proud, he was disciplined by the Lord. And yet he and the people of Jerusalem humbled themselves before the Lord and repented of their sin. And Scripture records, “the LORD’s anger did not come against them during Hezekiah’s lifetime. (2 Chron. 32:26)

Sadly, Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah who took over as king when he was twelve years old, engaged in 55 years of evil leadership. How would you like to have this legacy?

“Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem to do even more evil than the pagan nations whom the LORD had destroyed when the Israelites entered the land.” (2 Chron. 33:9)

The end of Manasseh’s story is astonishing. The Lord did punish him and sent him into exile to Babylon. But Manasseh prayerfully turned his heart towards God. “And the LORD listened to him and was moved by his request for help. So the LORD let Manasseh return to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Manasseh had finally realize that the LORD alone is God!”

As I meditated on these stories, asking the Lord to speak to me about what I needed to learn this morning, this is what came to mind – we can experience the Father’s embrace through a simple prayer of humility and cry for help! That is the power of the cross! We don’t deserve it – our sin deserves punishment. But Father God loves us so much, even when we sin against Him. And He delights to forgive us and redeem us and bring us back to His arms of love. Even Manasseh and all the wicked things he did. Even us, and all the bad things we do.

God did it for Hezekiah, for Manasseh, for the thief on the cross. And Jesus will do it for us. One simple prayer of repentance and asking the Lord for help – and He answers with a profound response of love and grace.

O, Lord, What an awesome God You are! What a loving Father! Please help us to know that love more – and then share that unconditional, unfathomable love with others. Starting with the next person we meet.

Jim