Wrong Prayer?
I often find myself praying, “Lord be with me today”. In doing that, I extend an invitation to Jesus to be involved in where I am and in what I am doing. Which in effect really means make my day better. Help me out with my interests and my activities. That is a self-focused prayer, saying “Lord, I have a lot planned for the day. I probably need some help to get it all done. Help me out with the things I am doing for you.” However, the focus is on me and what I am doing. In effect, I am asking Jesus to Follow me.
In a way that may sound good, but Jesus invited people to Follow Him, not Him to follow us. In that switch we make Jesus our servant, rather than making him Lord and us serving him.
It would seem to me that a more apt prayer would be, “Lord help me be aware and present where you are at work in this world today, and can I be engaged in that as we work together to expand your Kingdom? Give me eyes to see, ears to hear, and wisdom from your Spirit on what to say and do. May your Kingdom come and help me be a part of that.”
C. J.