Scraping the Sky
Tall spires reached up into the billows of grey."Mum, why are the called 'sky scrapers'?" Our four-year-old was impressed by the sight.So I explained that the buildings are so tall it looks like they are scraping the sky."But are they really scraping the sky?" Her eyes were fixed on the high-rises. "Or, are they just pretending?"_ _ _Oh, sky scrapers. Such a silly name. We know it's impossible to scrape the sky. We know the heavens are beyond our reach. We are not like the fools of Babel.Suddenly I saw the terrible metaphor. A lie that enshrouds our hearts. Humans have come to believe that prayers are like sky scrapers pretentiously stretching to a realm beyond its reach.A terrible tragedy. For many humans, prayer is just pretend.
Why? When did this belief start? What disappointment led us here?
What makes us feel so disconnected from God?
Well, I think it's because we are disconnected. Our human history is filled with humans choosing not God. I think about the society I live in and how we've purposefully removed God from every place possible. No God in schools, government, the workplace, the public place. God is not welcome here. And every generation has done the same thing. Ever since the first generation.So it is not strange at all that we would feel disconnected from God. When we feel that great chasm, it's a reminder of our plight. We want to know God, but we have chosen to become disconnected.We've chosen to become so disconnected that Yahweh Himself had to come to redeem us back to Him.He came to us because we, just like the Tower-builders of Babel, are unable to reach Him by our own efforts.And here is the truth about prayer: Yahweh, the God of the Universe, hears us not because of our efforts but because of His.Our prayers do not have to stretch into the heavens to reach Him. He has come close to us. He is with us. His Holy Spirit is here. Now. With you.Sky scraping not needed. Just a simple honest whisper.Why not talk to Him right now?
"Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace."The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. (Matthew 6:6-9a Msg)