"Ask questions in His presence. Asking questions is the lifestyle of lovers."It is after all the nature of love to ask questions - that's how lovers get to know each other. It's all right for us to ask God questions. Ask Him questions not about our brokenness but about His love. I think he's right, that asking each other questions is natural in a healthy relationship. Isn't it natural for us to ask, "Lord, I don't understand how this comes out of your love. Can you tell me?" There can be a difference in the context of our questions, of course. You can ask really not wanting the answer, like Pilate's "What is truth?"or even not believing that God is real. Or you can ask sincerely, because you don't understand how your experience and God's love match up, like "My God, why have you abandoned me?" That's a lover's question.
That rings true, doesn't it? Asking questions of God is the stuff of a true relationship with Him. My friend, Nicky, calls God "Daddy". He is the perfect Father. Who more appropriate to bring our concerns to? Who more natural to seek explanations from? Who better to trust?
2 comments:
Isn't it a bit of a cop-out? "I will grant your prayers, but only if you ask what I want you to ask" ?
I don't think that's what either Alan or I meant, Brother. Neither do I think that's how loving relationships work, is it? I start with the premise that God is love. A loving father likes his children telling him what they really feel, both their worries and their wants, no holds barred. However, I wasn't really talking about asking God FOR things, but asking Him ABOUT things. You know the Francis Bacon essay starting, "'What is truth?' said jesting Pilate, but would not wait for an answer": that's an example of context, not of sincerity, but of insincerity. The opposite is the father whose son the disciples can't heal and whom Jesus asks, "Do you believe I can?" His is an answer of relationship, "Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief." Do you think Jesus' miracle was preordained? I don't. I think it was a genuine conversation between the Divine Lover and someone who was learning to trust Him.
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