Yesterday during our two Women's Bible Study classes I read the following prayer written by Scotty Smith and published in Everyday Prayers: 365 Days to a Gospel-Centered Faith. As our friend Ruth pointed out after we were done praying, this prayer made us both laugh and cringe. Smith really convicted me by his very first example: merging cars on a road. 😆😧
Anyway, enough people asked me to send it to them personally that I thought I would just post here for everyone to see. I would appreciate hearing your thoughts in the comments below or by email.
"Jesus, of all the prayer-worthy things I can think of, "annoyance" has never made it onto my supplication list until now. Through the pastoral pestering of your Spirit, I see and grieve that I'm too easily annoyed. Have mercy on me, Prince of Peace. Free my foolish, fretful, fitful spirit. How can I possibly reveal the magnificence of the gospel when I'm showcasing the arrogance of my annoyance?
I'm annoyed by the guy who races me when two lanes are becoming one. I'm annoyed when the bar code reading machines in the self-checkout lanes can't read my items. I'm annoyed when the gas pump trickles way too slowly. I'm annoyed by waiters who fish for a bigger tip. I'm annoyed by fish that won't bite. I'm annoyed by humidity when I want to jog.
I'm annoyed by low talkers and loud talkers. I'm annoyed at people easily annoyed. I'm annoyed when I have to repeat myself, I'm annoyed at whiners, so much that I start whining. I'm annoyed when people use way too many words and way too big of words to say something way simple, as though that's not me too.
I'm annoyed at ever having to wait in line for anything. I'm annoyed by the color orange. I'm annoyed at any box that has the words "requires some assembly" written on it. Oh, Jesus, if only those were the only things that annoy me!
My prayer? Gentle my heart with your kindness and grace. Grant me much quicker repentances. Help me to slow...way...down. Help me to live in the moment and not simply live to get somewhere on time or get something done. Let me see people with your eyes and respond to them with your heart. There are no ordinary people around me. Everybody matters. Everybody has stories of heartache, foolishness, fear, and longing, just like me. Jesus, thank you that you died for all of my sins, including my "annoyability." I love being loved by you. I have no greater hope than knowing one day I will love like you love. I pray in your gracious and patient name. Amen."
This is from Debbi:
ReplyDeleteWell as I usually do I wrote a very lengthy reply to this particular post and I have tried 3 times to POST it ANNOYMOUSLY which it usually lets me do but it wouldn't post it? So here is my reply. I love your blogs!!!
First of all thanks for posting this prayer Candy as I was not at the last book study to hear this prayer. I was reading it and thought "Oh this could be an entry into my journal." I think the line that hit me as funny and convicting is "I'm annoyed at people easily annoyed" How pathetic we are when the very sin we are committing is what we judge the other person for instead of praying that God would take away our sin of annoyance, we are a peculiar race! I love the prayer, in previous group discussions we have been talking about learning to live in the moment and enjoy it instead of looking to "The next thing".
My 11 year granddaughter gave me a book yesterday that she had read, knowing that I would love it. "Intimacy With The Almighty" by Charles Swindoll. How about that an 11 year old reading Charles Swindoll and loving it! In the first Chapter Charles is talking about having a deep intimacy with God rather than just a superficial one. Going on he says, and I quote from page 17, "As important and intriguing as the divine depths might be, they defy discovery by the natural means of our minds. He reserves these things for those whose hearts are completely His...for those who take the time to wait before Him. Only in that way can there be intimacy with the Almighty.
Tragically, precious little in this hurried and hassled age promotes such intimacy. We have become a body of people who look more like a herd of cattle in a stampeded than a flock of God beside the green pastures and still waters. Our forefathers knew, it seems, how to commune with the Almighty...but do we? We must learn anew to think deeply, to worship meaningfully, to meditate unhurriedly." Richard Foster's words penetrate:
"Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people."Last but not least Swindoll says: "Some of God's best truths, like priceless treasures, are hidden in depths most folks never take the time to search out."My last thought, the statement that hit me most and has stuck with me was "We must learn anew to think deeply, to worship meaningfully, TO MEDITATE UNHURRIEDLY." If I knew how to underline on this blog I would underline the MEDITATE UNHURRIEDLY. Annoyance can so easily seep into even my quiet prayer time with God when someone interrupts my concentration simply by making a movement outside the door. I'm so annoyed with myself, that's all I have to say. Debbi :-)