Yancey on Prayer

Nearly every Christmas my bride Susie gives me a new book. She did it again a couple weeks ago, "surprising" me with a book by my favorite author, Philip Yancey. (I actually asked her to give this to me for Christmas a few months ago). Like so many millions of others I'm sure, Yancey's insights have blessed me deeply in my walk with Christ. Disappointment with God, The Jesus I Never Knew, What's So Amazing About Grace? Soul Survivor. I loved each one of these by this insightful and gifted writer. Now he's done it again with Prayer -- Does It Make Any Difference?

Right now I'm in the third chapter titled, "Just As We Are." He asks and then answers the question: "What is the natural state we all share in approaching God?" One such state is that we are all helpless (even though we may live under the illusion that we're pretty self-sufficient). He writes:

As adults we like to pay our own way, live in our own houses, make our own decisions, rely on no outside help. We look down upon those who live off welfare or charity...All the while we are systematically sealing off the heart attitude most desireable to God and most descriptive of our true states in the universe. "Apart from me you can do nothing," Jesus told his disciples, a plain fact that we conspire to deny.

Then he points out that we are much more reliant than we may realize. To drive a car we rely on car manufacturers to produce them. Electricity wouldn't be available if it weren't for companies that generate this invaluable resource and direct it to our homes. We depend on ranchers and farmers to feed us.

Yancey's words punctured my pride and illusion of self-reliance. I thought about this blog. In order to write it each morning I rely on Dell to provide this computer, Google to make this Blog available, and SBC Global to connect me with the internet. And every breath I take, thought given to me, inspiration to write is completely dependent on almighty God.

And when I pray, as Yancey reminds me, I am declaring my utter dependence upon God.

My flesh fights against this dependence. I don't like having to rely on other people (just ask my family). And this prideful, self-sufficient spirit spills over into my relationship with God. And yet the Holy Spirit within me is calling for continual surrender, humility and constant reliance on the living God to direct every step I take, every thought I think, each action I take. And He keeps wooing me to know the love of Christ more and more... and to realize that constant surrender and reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit is the path of life, joy and peace.

If you want a good read this year, I highly recommend any book by Yancey. You might start with his new one on prayer.

Jim