the echo

Have you ever thought of prayer like an echo?  A sound that keeps repeating and repeating?  I am kind of growing to love that imagery.  That's MF's premise in this book.  She says, "Like an echo, God often uses the repetitive events and themes in daily life to get my attention and draw me closer to Him ..." So whether is is persistently praying for the same thing over and again or whether its hearing the same message from God again and again, the repetition is part of What He uses to get our attention.

Speaking of getting our attention.  I am seriously NOT ADD ... but I, like most of the rest of our society, do have trouble not being easily distracted by the bombardment of all that is around us.  It was not this hard growing up ... life was much simpler - we had school and we had church.  We had 6 channels.  We had no personal computers, personal stereos, etc.  We had family meals and were not always on the go to somewhere.  Donald Miller commented on this today in his blog.  He claims that he follows several writers on twitter (another distraction we didn't have) and was intrigued by how often one writer commented on television shows.  He mused that perhaps we don't have the great writers, architects, composers, and artists of yesterday because those capable of such masterpieces are so distracted in our world today that they no longer focus on their craft.  Hmmmm ... but now I am distracted. 

The point I wanted to ponder today is that of the sacred echo in our prayer life.  Again, I struggle with my persistency sometimes ... maybe because of distraction, maybe because of time, maybe because I just don't believe God's going to work (like I want Him to) ... Looked again at these scriptures this morning ...

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"  Mt. 7:7-11

Here are my pondering points:

• God promises answers (maybe not what we ask, but answers)
• God promises gifts (because He loves us) ... TO THOSE WHO ASK!
• What am I asking God for?  Am I bold?  Specific?  Do I pray big or ask for something I conceivably think I could probably provide on my own?
• God is good.  He gives us good things.  He gives us things we ask for (ok, not all the time).  But how do I know if THIS time I ask is the time He will give?

So, instead of being distracted by repetition, skimming over what is familiar, and growing weary of offering up the "same" prayers, I am going to seek to see God in the repetition and to find comfort in the gently echo of His message in my life.