Years ago, the leader of a parent’s support group I was in led a guided meditation. “Close your eyes,” she encouraged us.
I closed my eyes.
“Now imagine whatever it is that you desire coming to you,” she said, or some such thing. “Receive it from the universe.”
I opened my eyes. The universe?
Embarrassed, I explained why I couldn’t participate. For me, as a follower of Jesus, prayer is not mentally manifesting a personal desire, but, rather, a petition to a personal God who desires to bless those who seek him.
Scripture is full of God’s promises to help those who trust him. Some of my favorites from the English Standard Version:
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 4:19.
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand,” Isaiah 41:10.
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart,” Psalm 37:4.
But what about when you’ve been seeking so long, and the blessings don’t come? What about when your heart is so heavy it’s beginning to grow hard? What about when you can’t pray?
That’s where I found myself this week, struggling with a problem that seems to have no solution – or at least not the solution I desire. Driving to work, I felt so weak and hopeless, just getting through the day seemed impossible. And so I prayed the only prayer I could, “Lord, help.”
As I clutched the wheel, I still felt weak and hopeless, but slowly the words of a prayer formed in my mind. “By faith, I receive your grace for me today,” I whispered the words aloud. “By faith, I receive your peace. By faith, I receive your strength.”
How often do I pray without expecting an answer? The words, “by faith, I receive,” were not a wishful affirmation, but a reminder that God himself is the answer I seek. And so I lifted up the situation weighing me down to a personal God, trusting that in his divine wisdom and mercy, he would provide the perfect solution. Maybe not be the solution I desire, but the one that will bring about the biggest blessing. Because that’s his promise.
So when I get discouraged, I remind myself of the many times God has provided in the past. Then I thank him for what he is doing today. Because while I don’t know the answer, I know that God is faithful, as I am reminded by the song Promises by Joe L Barnes, Naomi Raine and a group of talented young artists with Maverick City Music.
“God of Abraham, you’re the God of covenant and of faithful promises,” I sing along, cranking up the music. “Time and time again, you have proven you’ll do just what you said…Great is your faithfulness to me.”
Meadow Rue Merrill, author of the memoir, Redeeming Ruth, writes for children and adults from a little house in the big woods of mid-coast Maine. She is also the author of the children’s picture book The Backward Easter Egg Hunt and four other books celebrating the holidays in a way that builds children’s faith. Connect at www.meadowrue.com
Hi, Meadow,
I don’t know how to draw a line between “the universe” and “The Creator.” If God is the author of all that is, we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit to navigate the part of creation that comes under his will for us. If a person thinks that opening oneself to the universe includes opening oneself to the evil in it, that person needs to meet Jesus and to develop discernment and appropriate borders. We must be equipped with the whole armor of God to deal with tough situations. We need to remember that Jesus sent his followers out in pairs to confront evil and to heal the sick. I would like to know what this person meant by her words. Perhaps the problem with her suggestion lies not in the word “universe” but in the words “whatever you desire.” One’s desires need to come under the will of God. But most people fail to “dream big.” Most people want to keep God as small as they are. They want a comfortable God rather than an Aslan. There is something to be said for allowing God to expand one’s ideas of how big and awesome and complex and loving a Creator He is. Most of us could benefit from some stretching.
That’s an interesting thought, Laurna. The woman guiding the meditation had referred to a popular self-help book based on the “law of attraction,” a tool to helping you get the life you want. I agree that we need to dream big and that our desires need to come under the will of God. I think the trouble with the kind of “prayer” I was describing was that it leads away from God and is focused solely on the self. I’ve never tried it, but I do know that athletes and others use visualization to help them achieve their dreams of winning. However, the way I understood this woman’s guided meditation was not so much using your imagination to help achieve a goal but rather using one’s own power to gain one’s own desires apart from God. I think the distinction is important. What do you think?