The soccer world cup is one of the most contested tournaments by different nations of the world. Spectators of over 35,000 and millions of television viewers are thrilled to highest peak of excitement. While spectators enjoy the feel of the game, the players on the field and their technical crew have just one goal in mind which is to win the cup and go home proud. The players throughout the competition run up and down the field of play sweating profusely chasing just one small oval shape object called a ball in order to gain its possession.
The journey of winning the cup starts from the technical crew of each country making the right team selection that will be called to camp. In addition, they embark on intensive training, perfecting different winning plans and strengthening the players’ fitness level. Also, instilling a high level of discipline in the players is not left out, while sponsors are also being sought for the team. All these are done in bid to position the team well for the desired results, i.e. wining the cup.
When we pray, we surely always have desired results set in our minds. Either the purpose of our prayer is to praise God, make a request, express our displeasures or grief about a situation etc; it is still specifically targeted towards something.
Though we are desirous of hitting our targets in prayer, we often forget or neglect the right path and channels to be followed. You could be sure that a step towards the south, while you intend to reach the north as a destination is a deceitful and wrong move. For example, expecting to pass an examination without sitting for that particular exam or without answering over 60% of the questions provided will result in an elated failure.
Let’s take a look at this scripture together, “You ask and don’t receive because you ask wrongly, so that you may spend it on your desires for pleasures” James 4: 3 (HSBC). Have you ever wondered why some times your prayers seem not answered? Most likely you’ve concluded wrongly that there are some people well positioned than you are, who constantly draw God’s attention. This assertion is not true, because God does not show favoritism (James 2:1). Perhaps you have prayed wrongly. Praying wrongly is like not praying at all. Once a means to an end is ignored, then the end can not be met. When at the end of the football competition a winner emerges we should not fail to remember that if they had not played according to the rules of the game, the victory would not have been clinched.
For the next couple of weeks, we shall be discussing praying according to God’s will or pattern with the topic “Praying to yield results”. I have no doubt in my mind that this serial message will challenge and provoke to go back to kneel and achieve a result oriented prayer.
adeyiga awomuti
