Monthly Archives: May 2015

God’s plans … Or yours?

 

One of the most common verses referenced on graduation cards is Jeremiah 29:11 – “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord…” What a great verse of hope, that the creator of the universe has good plans for us . . . if only we will pursue them.

 

Of course, we have many plans of our own. We have plans that distract us from God’s presence and keep us from even thinking about Him most the day. We have plans that go against God’s will that we justify as not being “too bad.” We make happiness our life goal instead of the real joy found in enjoying God more than anything else. We have plans we think serve Him even though they aren’t necessarily His best plans for us.

 

Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew probably had plans to make a good living as fishermen. Then along comes Jesus who says, “Come, follow me and I will send you out to fish for people. At once they left their nets and followed him.” James and John were also out fishing, in a boat with their father. Jesus called them and they immediately left their boat and their father and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-22)  There was no discussion. They didn’t say, “Wait until I raise enough money to go on your journey.” They didn’t ask, “Will I be able to live at the same level of comfort that I currently enjoy?” They didn’t even ask Jesus where they were going. All they knew was that their encounter with Jesus compelled them to change their plans and follow him.

 

Following Jesus requires change. He may require us to change priorities. Instead of being obsessed with the news, sports, finance, or any other list of things, Jesus calls us to adjust our day to focus on him. He may require us to change our lifestyle. The rich young ruler found it unacceptable to give up his riches in order to follow Jesus. It wasn’t the riches that were the problem but his obsession with wealth and comfort that stood in the way of following Jesus.

 

Following Jesus requires us to adjust our plans to his, not trying to fit his plans into ours. It may be as ‘simple’ as switching our movie and TV viewing habits, the words we use when we’re angry, or even the things we let frustrate us.

 

Following Jesus might cause us to rethink our giving. Instead of thinking a 10% tithe is our goal, maybe he would have us think of it as a beginning. After all, if our life goal is to follow Jesus, shouldn’t we use all our resources for that purpose?

 

Following Jesus might require leaving our comfort zone. James and John left their home, their family, their livelihood, and life ambitions and goals. Why? Because God had a better plan for them. His plans always reflect His character of love, mercy, justice, goodness. His plans always reflect his purpose to draw us and others closer to him and to each other. In fact Jesus summed these up as the ‘greatest commandments’ – to love God fully and to love others as ourselves. Isn’t everything else really just following our own plans?

 

There’s nothing wrong with making a living and enjoying the life God gave us. But the question is, are we following our own plans and asking God to adjust to them or are we adjusting our lives so we can follow his good plans for us?

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

 

When there are no suitable answers

 

Maybe you saw the news story.

 

A young couple and their baby died in a bizarre road accident when concrete from an overpass fell onto their car, crushing them instantly. The couple were youth pastors in a nearby church. The couple had written a note earlier on the church website:
“We love to laugh. We are passionate about seeing young people discover the love and grace that Jesus abundantly pours out on them.”

 

What sense do you make of such senseless tragedy? What would you say to their families and friends, to those who had accepted Jesus into their lives because of their testimony, or those who are still searching?

 

Would you tell them that God must have been caught unaware, asleep at the wheel?

Would you spout theological answers that this is the result of the fall of man, the train of sin that keeps rolling down the track, taking us all farther than we want to go and costing us more than we want to pay?

Would you talk about suffering that advances the kingdom of God or explain how this is part of God’s divine design?

Would you say that God needed them in heaven or that he was protecting them from some unknown future temptation or prolonged suffering?

 

Or…

 

Would you say nothing at all, but rather sit quietly and cry with them as you hold their hand?

 

The truth is, there are answers to explain why bad things happen to good people. But answers aren’t always what we need. What we need is faith, hope, and love. Love is the one supreme command Jesus gave us: Love God and love others. We need love more than answers. There are things we won’t know for sure until we get to heaven. And even if we could speak such divine revelation, would it really calm the grieving soul? Would answers bind up broken hearts? The language grief understands best is faith expressing itself through love.

 

Faith isn’t fed by answers. Oh, for sure, we want to know! But the essence of our faith is that it believes even when it can’t perceive or understand answers. Faith survives our broken hearts. It supersedes our wounded spirits. Even when we are shocked beyond words, faith believes. No one and no thing can take away our faith, hope, and love, without our consent. When there are no suitable answers to satisfy our minds, these bring us to the heart of God who alone can calm our soul with peace that surpasses understanding.

 

“Faith is simply breathing the breath that God’s grace supplies.” (John MacArthur)

 

Breathe the breath of God and let your faith express itself through love, especially when there are no suitable answers.

 

 

Castaway

 

Years ago, Tom Hanks starred in a movie about a Fed Ex employee whose plane crashed in the ocean.  As the plane’s only survivor, his character was “Castaway” to fend for himself in a strange new world, without the guidance and support of others. Through many trials and painful experiences, he learned to survive and was eventually rescued from his involuntary exile and reconnected with society. Sadly, his fiancé had married but he found new hope in a relationship with a young artist whose artwork he held on to during his castaway experience.

 

It was a riveting drama enjoyed by movie viewers across the globe. But it’s not always happy endings. In his book, “Lord of the Flies’, William Golding writes about a group of school boys whose plane crashes on a deserted island. All the adults on board were killed so the boys had to fend for themselves. Abandoned and left to their own devices, without adult supervision or support, they build a society based more on savage instincts than cooperative order.

 

Pulitzer Prize-winning writer William Raspberry, referred to “Lord of the Flies” as a reflection of what he saw happening with young black men in our country’s inner cities. He observed that without the constructive influence of older men to guide and direct them, the young men never developed a ‘moral compass.’ Instead they became ‘castaways,’ disengaged from their intended role in a productive society. Indeed, other news writers recently made this same comparison in view of the Baltimore riots.

 

But being a castaway isn’t relegated just to plane crash survivors or young men raised without fatherly guidance. Drastic changes in your health, the loss of a job, or a move can leave you ‘castaway’ from others. So can self-directed actions of pursuing a negative path of meaningless hobbies and harmful activities. New employees, without training and mentoring, become castaway in a sea of confusing job requirements. Neighbors living within feet of each other become castaway either by their own lack of engagement or by the disinterest of others. Church members, surrounded by hundreds of smiling faces, become castaways to their own island that no one bothers to visit because they are too busy connected to other pursuits. New believers are easily castaway when there is no interest in discipling them or in being discipled.

 

We become isolated in so many ways from others, from God, and from our life purpose. As a result we become castaway from the peace, love, and joy we were intended to experience. But the Good News is that we don’t have to remain stranded. We aren’t destined to be castaways on a remote island separated from the rest of the world. Whether our need is for guidance, support, or social engagement, we have a Rescuer who longs to free us from our exiled condition. God Himself longs to secure us with a moral compass to guide our way. He alone return us to our place of real belonging. He is the one who builds our faith, restores our hope, comforts our hearts, and strengthens our resolve.

 

If you feel cast away from friends, family, your purpose in life, or even God, today is the day to leave your island. Talk to God about your condition. Surrender to His perfect will. Set your eyes on Him and take His hand and let Him lead you to the place you belong.

 

“I have gone to prepare a place for you…and surely I am with you always.” John 14:2, Matthew 28:20

 

The danger of becoming disengaged

 

As a lad, I enjoyed playing with trains. Each car and engine were coupled together and each train performed according to its purpose. My passenger trains delivered imaginary people to their town and country destinations and the freight trains delivered needed goods to various industries along the track. As engineer my job was to ‘couple’ the cars to their engines, keep the tracks clear, and make sure the engines didn’t go too fast around the curves.

 

Sometimes I’d ‘uncouple’ the cars from their engines and park them along the sidetrack. Sometimes the cars become disengaged on their own, particularly when they hit a rough spot in the tracks. Disengagement always resulted in one of two things: inactivity, or worse, a derailment.

 

We all experience some level of disengagement in our lives. Our mind wanders when we intend it to stay focused. Work becomes tedious or boring. Relationships meant to be at the center of our lives become side tracked in the pursuit of other activities. Goals and projects get set aside, sometimes for months and years, as we find it difficult to remain engaged with them.

 

Sometimes we purposefully disengage to gain perspective and “recharge our batteries.” In order to solve a problem it’s often beneficial to disengage for a moment, step back, and look at the bigger picture. Vacations, reading a book, or a walk through the garden perform a similar rejuvenating purpose. These types of disengagement are helpful because they are both temporary and purposefully intended to help us get back on track with renewed energy and perspective.

 

But there is a danger of disengaging when it leads to becoming sidetracked for periods of time. We are meant to be connected – with life, with each other, and with God. The longer we are disengaged, the more we are likely to forget our original purpose. When we lose interest or allow ourselves to become burned out, we start to feel it would be better to just step aside or go through the motions of being connected when we really aren’t fully engaged.

 

We could blame others, saying “If only my job were more interesting.” “If only my spouse were more understanding.” “If only my church were more relevant.” A recent study by the Pew Research Center reveals a growing number of millennials disengaging from the church and even their faith, leading one observer to conclude, “Older generations of Americans are not passing along the Christian faith as effectively as their forebears.” And it’s true, isn’t it? Aren’t we responsible to pass on knowledge, skills and even our faith to others, especially to our children?

 

And yet, we all contribute to our own disengagement. We each are responsible for staying coupled with our faith and life purpose. It’s our responsibility to fight boredom and distraction, our distinct calling to avoid identifying ourselves with the world when our true identity is found in our relationship with God.

 

Disengaging from our life activities and relationships is not just like getting side tracked by wandering thoughts during a long speech. Prolonged disengagement has the tendency to derail our lives causing tragic losses. One of the surest ways of losing a job, a marriage, a friendship, or your faith, is to begin sentences with the words, “I hate.”

 

When we couple our activities and relationships to our negative feelings and thoughts, they always take us farther down the track than we want to go and to a place we didn’t intend to visit…usually a dead-end side track.

 

If you find yourself side tracked from your real purpose in life or if you discover you’re being pulled down the wrong track by negative thoughts and emotions, maybe it’s time to switch engines. Couple yourself with God’s Word and the hope He offers. Find ways to connect with God frequently throughout your daily activities. Set your mind on your desired destination and stay on track.

 

Putting off and putting on

 

“Whatever you do, don’t let that ball get by you!” That was the advice of the not-so-helpful parent to their child who was goalie at the soccer game. The trouble is, when we focus exclusively on what we’re not to do, we often end up doing that very thing! The better advise would be to ‘watch the ball.’ In order to stop doing one thing we need to start doing another.

 

Isn’t that true with other things in life too? Whatever bad habits we have, we try to stop them, telling ourselves, “Don’t do this, don’t think about that.” While it’s true there are some things we have to put off and cast aside, isn’t it better to think on what we’re going to put on?

 

For example, you could tell yourself that you’re going to be less critical of others, but pledging to yourself to be more loving and accepting will more effectively overcome a critical nature. What if today you decided you were going to approach everything and everyone (including yourself) with the loving heart God gave you? You won’t be perfect at it; I won’t either. But the more this is our focus, the more it becomes who we really are.

 

The same goes for being thankful. Determine at the beginning of the day that you are going to find reasons to be thankful in (not for) every situation, and you will find yourself reflecting thanksgiving. It won’t happen all at once, but it will grow in you, and over time it will define who you are. And have you ever noticed that as real thankfulness grows, so does peace? Not surprising as that’s exactly what Paul said. The thing about putting on virtuous thoughts and behaviors is that they tend to build on each other.

 

Focusing on ‘putting on’ virtue and not just ‘putting off’ sin is a winning approach. But you can’t do it alone and neither can I. To be good at this, to have this become embedded in our character, we need to stay close to God . . . all day long, moment by moment. It won’t work to just say a prayer for strength in the morning and then fight the battles on our own.
God’s design is that we have such a relationship with Him that it’s just natural to include Him in all our struggles and joys. Keep pressing in, moment by moment, trial by trial. His promises are true and He’s waiting right now to help you ‘put on’ love, peace, joy, and so much more.

 

“Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24

 

Plato’s Cave

 

The Greek philosopher Plato told a story to his students about a group of people who were imprisoned in a cave since childhood. The cave was the only existence they knew. Behind the chained prisoners was a fire and between the fire and the prisoners was a short wall, behind which others used puppet figures to cast shadows onto the wall in front of the prisoners who were unaware of both the fire and the puppet figures. All their life, these shadows were the only reality the prisoners knew, and they began to imagine the shadows as real.

 

Socrates was asked what would happen if a prisoner were forced out of the cave into the sunlight outside. He concluded the prisoner would find the sun’s brightness to be blindingly painful, resulting in a shadowy vision, but that eventually he would adjust to this new reality outside the cave. He would see reflections in the lake and then come to see the images were actually of real people and things. He would see the stars at night and the sun by day. He would come to experience this new reality as so much better than what he experienced in the cave, he would want to return to the cave and bring the other prisoners out into the light. But returning to the cave, the freed prisoner would find himself once again blinded by the darkness. His fellow cave-dwellers would conclude from this that the freed man’s journey had blinded him and would fight any attempt he made to convince them to leave their cave.

 

It’s a sad story, isn’t it? Perhaps we are all like the cave-dwelling prisoners. Shackled by our preconceived ideas and negative patterns of thinking, we cannot imagine any other way of perceiving our world. But in fact, they are only shadows dancing in the light and have no bearing on reality. The more we are accustomed to such shadowy darkness, the more difficult we find it to accept real light, if you would allow, the light of the *Son*. Even after our mind’s eye adjusts to His light, we continue to see things dimly. While we experience the new reality we sometimes continue to embrace the shadows of our own thinking.

 

But the more we embrace His light, the more we rejoice in its truth. We learn that all is not as it seems, as it feels, or even as it sometimes appears. Our circumstances continue to appear as shadows but we have the benefit now of seeing more clearly and enjoying life beyond them.

 

Here is where our interpretation departs from Plato’s. Jesus says those who really love Him become that light themselves. First, the light penetrates all the darkness of their own minds and hearts. Then, compelled to share the light with others, they return to the cave, but they aren’t blinded by darkness. Instead, they bring His light into the cave and the darkness flees at its presence. Those who embrace the light will see the illusion of the shadow figures and become free. Others who reject it, remain shackled.

 

Our minds are battlegrounds for so many arguments and pretensions that war against us. Over and over, we find ourselves in Plato’s Cave. But there is an escape. “Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Bring it out into the light where the deceitful shadows can be exposed and real truth revealed. I don’t know how long it will take. It seems these shadows continue to play in our minds repeatedly. And repeatedly, we have to take them captive, exposing them to the light.

 

But over time, as our eyes become better adjusted to the real Light Of the World, the shadows fade away and we see more clearly, and we experience the freedom we’re freely offered.

 

Thinking about heaven

 

What comes to mind when you think about heaven? Do you see a long line of people waiting to pass through the pearly gates? Maybe there’s someone at heaven’s concierge desk checking for ‘reservations’? Or maybe you see fluffy clouds with white-robed people with wings playing harps all day? That’s how cartoons often portray heaven. Do you see literal mansions lining the streets of gold or maybe overlooking the river of life? Maybe you’ve imagined what your mansion might look like, whether it will have an elegant banquet room, an atrium, and beautiful gardens. I’ve known some folks who’d like a shed for their fishing boat and a golf course next door.

 

Or maybe you think not so much of what you see, but what you feel: love, joy, acceptance, and peace. Maybe you imagine how vibrant and strong your heavenly body will be, not limited by pain, sorrow, addictions, and sorrow.

 

Maybe you look forward to reuniting with loved ones who’ve left this earth. And what a great reunion that will be! The Sadducees didn’t even believe in the resurrection. But in attempt to trick Jesus, they asked Him what marriage would look like in heaven. Maybe you’ve wondered that same thing. Jesus replied: “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”  (Matthew 22:29-30,32)

 

We have so many questions about heaven! But the message of Jesus is that more important than guessing at what heaven might be like, our focus is better placed on the power of God.  Many of our images of heaven are influenced by our imaginations and earthly desires. But if we “do not know the Scriptures or the power of God,” our speculation is pointless. Heaven is bound to be so very much more than we can imagine in human terms!

 

Let’s turn our focus on our relationship with God who is now and forever. Let’s focus:

  • Less on our worldly possessions and accomplishments and more on deepening our relationship with God right now, today.
  • Less on our fears and more on His resurrection power.
  • Less on confessed sins that we still dwell on and more on His forgiveness.
  • Less on trying to be good and more on His goodness.
  • Less on our problems and more on His sustaining and amazing and grace.
  • Less on our worries and more on His promises.
  • Less on what culture says and more on His constant truth.
  • Less on our weakness and more on His strengthening Spirit.

 

Focusing less on our relationship with the world and more on our relationship with the living God will benefit our life now AND prepare us for an unimaginable life in heaven!

 

Do you have a guardian angel?

 

Popular culture influences our beliefs in so many ways. You probably remember Bill Keane’s Family Circus cartoons featuring grandma or grandpa who went to heaven and now appear as angels watching over their grandchildren. Or you recall movies like It’s A Wonderful Life, where a ‘guardian’ angel is entrusted to watch over some specific person on earth (usually in order to ‘earn’ their wings). Often, we don’t give much thought to the biblical accuracy of such misconceptions and sometimes may use them to ‘comfort’ others instead of sharing the truth in a manner they can understand. But what does the bible have to say about such things?

 

Matthew 22:30 says we will be ‘like’ angels in some ways but the bible NEVER talks about humans dying and becoming angels. Both humans and angels are created beings. Both have spirits and free will. The bible says some of God’s created angels chose to rebel against Him, and that we also have the same free will to choose to follow God, or not.

 

God says His faithful angels are real and are sent to protect, guide, and minister to us. We read numerous accounts of angels bringing a specific message or help to individuals and groups of people. But does each person or at least each young child, have an assigned ‘guardian’ angel?

 

There is a singular passage in Matthew 18:10-11 where Jesus says, “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” Does this single passage give evidence to guardian angels?

 

Earlier Jesus had called a child to Himself and urged His followers to humble themselves like this child. So it’s possible that “these little ones” referenced in verse 11 refer to children. Or it could refer to all of us who He calls to become as “these little ones.” In any case, the reference is not to an angel but to “their angels.” Plural, not singular.

 

And what are these angels doing? Are they watching our every move to keep us from stumbling or wandering astray? Let’s check out what the bible says: “their angels in heaven always see the face of My father in heaven.” This doesn’t support popular notions of a specific angel constantly watching over us. Instead, we see a picture of angels who are always focused on God, waiting for His command to attend to our needs. Doesn’t this make sense? After all, who knows everything or can be every where at once? Not angels; only God. So it’s easy to understand why angels would be ever attentive to God who knows your every need, perceives your every thought, and sees your every move. And because they are always focused on God’s face, watching for His command, He is able to send them to minister to our needs.

 

What does this reveal to us about our loving and all powerful God? That He cares for His followers and sends His angels, who are always attentive to His commands, to attend to our needs.

 

But it says something about us too. If we want to know and carry out God’s plan for us, we need to also “always see the face” of God, to keep our eyes and hearts fixed on Him. He alone knows how to best use our time, our treasures, our talents, and energies to fulfill His plan for us and His plan for His kingdom.

 

If there are guardian angels, it’s not specifically revealed in scripture. So rather than letting popular culture influence what we believe about God, let’s keep our eyes fixed on Him. We do this is by reading His Word and by staying in communication with Him throughout the day, seeking His counsel on what we think about and do.

 

Keep your eyes firmly fixed on God and watch how much more clearly you see your life.

 

The power of prayer comes from God alone

 

God invites us to pray. He listens to our prayers. He alone has the power to answer our prayers.

 

Sometimes we don’t feel like He answers prayer because we don’t get what we want, when we want it, or how we want it. Sometimes this is because the motives of our hearts aren’t aligned with God’s. We are like children who want candy everyday for breakfast instead of meals that actually nourish our bodies and make us strong. We pray for healing when suffering will bring us closer to Him. We ask for riches on earth when He knows that sometimes ‘less’ will bless us ‘more.’  We ask for physical comforts when He wants most to comfort our soul.

 

Sometimes we don’t receive the answers to prayer because we have little faith. The disciples encountered this when they couldn’t cast out demons. I wonder how many times we pray out of sense of obligation but without really expecting God’s miraculous answer, through faith.

 

God’s power to answer prayer is not limited by us. Even though He invites us to seek Him often regarding our needs, neglecting to pray one day doesn’t limit His power. He invites us to join together in praying for others, but His power is not restrained if only a few people show up to pray. We’re commanded to live by faith, knowing that even the smallest amount of faith accomplishes large things. But God is not even limited by our lack of faith.

 

Paul tells the true story in Acts 12 when the church prayed for Peter’s release from prison. God answered their prayers and Peter came to them, knocking at their door while they were praying. Their servant recognized Peter’s voice and told the others he was there. But they didn’t believe it was him. In fact, it says they were ‘astonished’ when they saw him! How many times have you been astonished that God actually answered your prayers? Or chalked it up to some natural occurrence, forgetting to give Him credit?

 

The lesson for each of us is that there is power in prayer, but that power does not come from us. It doesn’t depend on our posture or our words. It doesn’t depend on where or how often we pray. It certainly doesn’t come from rituals we’ve invented to accompany our prayers. God’s ability to answer prayer isn’t even limited by the size of our faith.

 

The power of prayer comes from God alone. He is our all powerful, all knowing, and merciful God, who by His own choice, invites us to participate with Him in releasing His power through prayer. He doesn’t have to do it that way. He could side-step us and just work His own perfect will as He pleases. But that’s not our God. Our God works in and through the hearts of believers to release His power into the world, according to His great purpose. I’m astonished by such grace!

 

Almighty God invites us to connect with Him in through prayer that releases His power. Whatever we ask, let’s submit to His wisdom and will, expecting miraculous and powerful results, whether or not they coincide with our specific requests.

 

“For His is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen!”

 

 

Does God hear our prayers?

 

We pray and pray. Sometimes we pray our whole life and don’t see the results of our prayers. We may wonder, “Does God hear my prayers?”

 

If we’re to believe God’s Word, we need to believe it all. It is his forever truth and he is the great promise keeper. He promises “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16) Elijah prayed for fire to come down from heaven and it came. David prayed to be delivered from his enemies and he was. The disciples prayed for boldness to preach the gospel, no matter what happened, and they received it. Jesus himself prayed for his Father’s will to be done – and it was. All evidence that God hears and answers our prayers.

 

Jesus told his followers, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7) Some false preachers of the prosperity gospel treat this promise like a genie’s magic lamp. Read the words again. There is a condition in Jesus’ promise, an ‘IF.’

 

Some like to think that God sent his Son so everyone would be saved. But what the bible says is “whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” There’s a condition to the promise. We’re used to conditional promises: you get paid IF you do the work, you lose weight IF you follow your diet, you reap a harvest of veggies IF you plant the seeds. We like to think that it’s different when it comes to prayer, but it’s not. The answer to prayers sometimes depends on the condition of our heart.

 

1 John 5:14 – “If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

Psalm 66:18 – “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”

 

Sometimes we don’t receive the answers to prayer because the condition of our heart is not right. Sometimes it is because we lack faith. We ask, but we don’t really believe God is willing or able to do what he says.  Sometimes God’s answer depends on the actions of others. He will not ‘make’ someone love you the way you want to be loved anymore than he will ‘make’ you act against your own will. Sometimes we live out the consequences of our own thoughts and actions: the sin is forgiven, but the consequences live on. Sometimes God answers prayers but we fail to recognize it because we want something else. He doesn’t give us what we want because he knows what we need and has something better for us. We want only ice cream and cookies for dinner but he offers real nourishment for our bodies and our souls.

 

There are multiple reasons why God might not answer every prayer or answer it in the way we ask. But if we believe God exists and accept his Son, we can be assured he hears our prayer and will be faithful to respond – regardless of how it seems. Maybe it would help our prayer life if, in addition to asking for all those ‘things’ we desire, we primarily focused our prayers on drawing closer to God . . . to see him more clearly, love him more dearly, and follow him more nearly. Would not our Heavenly Father be pleased to hear such a prayer from his beloved children? May this be the true desire of our hearts!