This coming weekend we will be having our annual Undergraduate Retreat. For some reason there is this freshness in the air and people are getting excited for this retreat. There is anticipation that God will do great things.
Starting tonight we will be having nightly prayer gatherings to pray for the retreat. Without prayer we know that we cannot do anything, but there is always this tension when it comes to events and prayer.
By praying, do we cause God to respond and do something on our behalf (human responsibility)? Or, is God going to do what He desires to do anyway, therefore we don’t need to pray (God’s Sovereignty)? I have always believed when this tension comes up, we need to look at the situation with a whole new lens.
We cannot row a boat effectively with just one oar. We need both oars in order to move the boat forward. In the same way, if we don’t pray and just expect God to work then we will be missing something. In the same light, if we pray relentlessly because we are afraid that God will not bless us until we pray a certain amount then it can get legalistic and burdensome.
Then how should we view this?
The phrase that I have been using over the years is: “When God wants to do something great, He will cause His people to pray.”
Of course this statement assumes that we are willing to obey His promptings. There have been many times over the years where I felt a burden in my heart to pray for something (God’s Sovereignty) and then when I obeyed and prayed (human responsibility), God did some great things (God receives all the glory).
I am confident that as we walk in the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will feel the burden that God has for this retreat. Then, in obedience to the Father, we will do our part in praying.
I’m hoping to see all of the undergrads at the prayer gatherings this week.