we will not cease...



Prayers like gravel

Flung at the sky's

window, hoping to attract

the loved one's

attention . . .

R.S Thomas


still slowly reading and thinking about prayer a lot at the moment. i loved this quote from yancey's book, placed at the beginning of the chapter entitled 'why pray?' ultimately the chapter pretty much rounds up that we pray becauses jesus prayed. the time when he wept tears of blood was not on the way to golgatha or during his agonizing death but in the garden of gethsemane as he prayed - that was where the action was for jesus, so i think thats where i want to be most passionate too. jesus also prayed very little for himself but rather more for others - a challenge for sure!


as yancey states although jesus prayed lots, his prayers as god in human form didn't remove the 'unknown and unpredictable elements' in his life. the disciples regularly surprised and dissappointed him - think about judas and peter. yet somehow those unpredictable elements are simply incorporated into the way god outworks his grace. just think, judas's betrayal led to the cross and our salvation!


the fact that god shows the great compassion that jesus showed for us highlighted here when jesus looked out over jerusalem...


'o jerusalem, jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often have i longed to gather your children together, as a hen fathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing'.


jesus's compassion alone can keep me going as i pray, i hope it can for you too. knowing ultimately that jesus himself back in 33AD prayed for you and me and our faith and that he has promised to continue to pray for us, as he sits at the father's right hand side definitely encourages me. how can i not pray when he has promised so much. so i shall continue to try to be still and know that he is god (psalm 46:10).

wanna have a ready, here's the link

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