This past year I’ve been working on some legal issues for a family member and I’ve prayed about it all. I’ve prayed before every conversation, for wisdom in strategy, for courage, direction and that the right people would be available to help in all necessary areas of this situation…today it was affirmed again that God has been answering my prayers.
Every single step seems to be guided by God. Every connection made by God. Every decision seems to be influenced by our God.
There’s no other explanation. I couldn’t have done this myself. God put the right people into place. God has helped orchestrate so much that it’s not possible I could have done this myself.
Today I’m thankful for God listening and being with me so I can better help this family member.
Thank you God for your guidance, direction, protection and love.
The word coincidence is used only once in the New Testament, and it was by Jesus Himself in the parable of the Good Samaritan. In Luke 10:31, Jesus said, “And by a coincidence a certain priest was going down in that way, and having seen him, he passed over on the opposite side.” The word coincidence is translated from the Greek word synkyrian, which is a combination of two words: sun and kurios. Sun means “together with,” and kurious means “supreme in authority.” So a biblical definition of coincidence would be “what occurs together by God’s providential arrangement of circumstances.”
What appears to us as random chance is in fact overseen by a sovereign God who knows the number of hairs on every head (Luke 12:7). Jesus said that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without our Father’s notice (Matthew 10:29). In Isaiah 46:9–11, God states unequivocally that He is in charge of everything: “I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.”
When we consider life events, we tend to classify them as “important” or “unimportant.” Many people have no problem believing that God is in charge of the “big things” but assume that such a big God would not trouble Himself with the seemingly miniscule events of our everyday lives. However, that understanding is colored by our human limitations and not supported by Scripture. For God, there are no unimportant events. He does not need to conserve His strength because His power is limitless. His attention is never divided. If the Lord God tracks every sparrow (Matthew 10:29), then nothing is too small for His attention. He is often referred to as the Almighty (Genesis 17:1; Exodus 6:3; Job 13:3), a name denoting unrestricted power and absolute dominion.
Citing coincidence is how we humans explain unexpected events and surprise meetings. But just because we are taken by surprise does not mean that God is. Scripture is clear that God allows sinful humans to make mistakes and reap the consequences of those mistakes, but only a sovereign God could also promise that He will make “all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). In ways known only to God, He takes even our mistakes and unplanned events and weaves them together to fulfill His purposes.
In Old Testament times, God often used the Urim and Thummin, pieces of the high priest’s ephod, to help give guidance and instruction (Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:8; 1 Samuel 30:7–8). In the New Testament, we see the apostles trusting God’s sovereignty when they cast lots to choose a new disciple to replace Judas (Acts 1:26).
Though each of these means of communication seems insignificant, God has shown throughout Scripture that He can use the smallest object or event for His purposes. God does not seem to allow for “coincidence.” The administration of the universe is not based on serendipity. The Bible says that God’s purposes will prevail and that He is in control of even the most random event (Proverbs 19:21). Proverbs 16:33 says, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.” What may seem insignificant to us may be in fact a result of God’s omniscient power working on our behalf to accomplish His will in our lives.
“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Whether the result of an increasing ideological chasm, or the priggishness of discourse in the internet age, we have reached a new societal low. In the wake of the most recent mass shooting, we see increased criticism of a simple expression of support: “thoughts and prayers.” Critics say that prayer isn’t work, that actions are required, and that such clichés are used by those who don’t desire real change.
It would be tempting to ask those who criticize prayer as “not enough” to list the tangible activities they have done in order to enact change. If “thoughts and prayers” doesn’t count as work, neither should “raising awareness” through retweeting the Huffington Post. But perhaps a modicum of grace, rare in social media, should be extended to all. We can’t see into the prayers or charitable lives of our internet interlocutors, and we should lead with the assumption that most Americans want to support victims of mass violence and support efforts to decrease violence in our society.
As Christians, we may not believe that prayer is everything, but we do believe it is of the utmost importance. We should note four things concerning prayer and action.
1. Prayer Is Action
I imagine America’s increasing secularism and the animosity toward simple declarations of prayer are related. For those who have abandoned belief in an involved God, humanity is left to our own devices. We must achieve by manipulating the material world, the narrative goes; otherwise it’s not “real work.” Of course, abandoning belief in the transcendent and spiritual means there’s only the immanent and material.
But as Christians, we believe prayer actually accomplishes something. We believe that God hears our prayers, and that things change as a result. As James says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). Whether the change is internal or external, small or big, God shows up when we pray.
2. Prayer May Spur Further Action
When we pray, our heart is softened to the needs of those around us. We become sensitive to the suffering of others, and often God plants within us ideas to act on our love for others. For Christians, prayer is the spring from which our love and mercy for others flows. Prayer is where we awaken to the needs of those around us—and to the specific calling God has given us to care for those needs.
3. Our Prayers and Actions Are Limited
This is perhaps the most difficult reality we must face. We are finite beings, limited to our corporeal bodies by time and space. We can’t be everywhere at the same time, so we must choose where we will serve, whom we will love, and what we will advocate. I can’t do relief work in Houston and Puerto Rico at the same time. If my money were divided equally to every area of need in the country, it would amount to less than a penny per need.
I can’t make a substantial difference to every issue plaguing our country. Advocating to redress the multiple causes of gun violence—whether it be mental illness, domestic abuse, racism, or the preponderance of lethal firearms—demands sustained time and attention. So do my responsibilities as a spouse, as a friend, as a son, and as a pastor.
Perhaps one of the most pernicious aspects of social media is how it overwhelms us with the problems of the world and insists that we can and should make a difference in solving all of them. Of course we can’t, and our carnivorous social media consumption only leaves us with the indigestion of despair.
“Our carnivorous social media consumption only leaves us with the indigestion of despair.”
But, in prayer, we discover what we can do: the handful of things given to us by God. And with these few things, we can participate with God in making a real difference. Perhaps our labors will be grandiose. Perhaps we’ll drop what we’re doing, move to Washington, and start lobbying. Or perhaps, in a much smaller yet equally important way, we counsel that couple with the dysfunctional marriage in our congregation, winning a small victory over the power of evil in our midst. Either way, we can pray both for those who are far off and those who are near, knowing that even if our labors are directed more to the near, our prayers for those far off will not go unheeded.
4. We Must Actually Pray If we post “thoughts and prayers” on Facebook, we should immediately turn off our phone, get on our knees, and pray in earnest. Otherwise our critics are validated in denouncing the triteness of prayer, and God is displeased with our false witness.
Whether you are someone who has made your declarations known, criticized the declarations of others, or had your thoughts known only by God, the invitation is the same: Kneel before the God of the universe, humbly seek his help and intervention, and ask him how he might use you as a vessel of justice and peace in the world.
– By Michael Niebauer on a website called the Gospel Coalition Website
“For Christians, prayer is the vital, two-way communication that anchors their relationship with God. It is not merely a religious ritual, but a personal invitation to converse with the Creator, present requests, confess sins, and align one’s heart with His divine will.”
I love this song by Brandon Lake called Gratitude! Here are the lyrics:
All my words fall short I got nothing new How could I express All my gratitude?
I could sing these songs As I often do But every song must end And You never do
So I throw up my hands And praise You again and again ‘Cause all that I have is a hallelujah Hallelujah
And I know it’s not much But I’ve nothing else fit for a King Except for a heart singing hallelujah Hallelujah
I’ve got one response I’ve got just one move With my arm stretched wide I will worship You So I throw up my hands And praise You again and again ‘Cause all that I have is a hallelujah Hallelujah
And I know it’s not much But I’ve nothing else fit for a King Except for a heart singing hallelujah Hallelujah
So come on, my soul Oh, don’t you get shy on me Lift up your song ‘Cause you’ve got a lion inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord Oh, come on, my soul Oh, don’t you get shy on me Lift up your song ‘Cause you’ve got a lion inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord Come on, my soul Oh, don’t you get shy on me Lift up your song ‘Cause you’ve got a lion inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord, hey
Praise the Lord Praise the Lord Praise the Lord
So I throw up my hands Praise You again and again ‘Cause all that I have is a hallelujah Hallelujah
And I know it’s not much But I’ve nothing else fit for a King Except for a heart singing hallelujah Hallelujah
Why Do I Pray .com 