When prayers feel Far away

Prayer can sometimes feel like a golden ticket that people like to talk about but never quite seems to pan out for you. It is meant to be a lifeline but it can feel like you’re still drowning. Why keep trying, and what can you do?

Well as someone who spends some good time praying lately, it might surprise you that one of the greatest examples I saw recently was on Little House on the Prairie. I always loved the show, and as we’ve been watching it as a family, I’m reminded why. Every story seems to capture a facet of redemption.    Even in the dusty, dry ground of pioneer life, the people are mostly good, a little kindness goes a long way, and some forgiveness is necessary most days.  (It makes me wonder, if they can manage to do that, why can’t we? With all of the niceities of our modern day conveniences why do we seem to struggle so much with basic human kindness? Why do I?  But I digress …)

There was one storyline recently that is sticking with me.  Laura, little Half Pint, probably no more than eight years old, writes a letter to her family and then slips off in the night.  She had heard the preacher say on Sunday that, the closer you are to God, the more likely it is that He’ll answer your prayer.  So she goes off to climb a mountain.  She has big prayer (they’d recently buried the beloved baby boy), and she knew that for such a big prayer, she’d have to take the advice and, well, get closer to God.  

I won’t spoil the show whole for you (if you want to watch it, it’s on amazon prime.) But it really got me thinking. Here are the main takeaways that remain in my heart.

He’s closer than we think.

I think when the preacher said, “The closer you are to God, the more likely it is He’ll answer your prayers”, it actually means something different than it first sounds. It can almost seem off putting. But the more I thought about it, the more I seemed to understand.

Mankind tends to think we need big journeys, or big transformations. If I could climb that “mountain“. I’d be closer to God.  It made perfect sense to the girl’s mind, and if we’re honest, we’ve probably all had similar thoughts. The mountains we climb most often aren’t physical.  They’re habitual; they’re mental. If I could do something more significant or important. If I could scale the walls of my own doubts, understand more, have more patience, love others better,  I’d be closer to God. I just need to get away, get above these concerns that are all around me.  

I read once that a woman often finds God standing at the kitchen sink.  I think nothing could be more true.  Because God often meets you right where you are.   You don’t have to get alone or scale a wall or be apart to get closer to God. He doesn’t need you to climb mountains.   He just wants your heart, and some attention.   He wants to sit with you and comfort you, right where you are.  In either the comfort of your home or the discomfort of your heart.    God is there, right where you are- mountain or valley, laundry pile or the mud puddle of your own disappointments. Always available and always able to help.  

God’s currency is faith.  He listens for it, and he responds to even the smallest piece of it. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
It doesn’t have to take a lifetime, it can happen in an instant. An instant of surrender.

Drawing closer changes us.

The closer you get, by drawing yourself into His warm, caring side, the more you get to know Him. We are changed and healed as we come close.  In times of prayer and listening, reading, worship, songs or teachings about Him, , the more we begin to understand Him.  The more you experience and understand His Love, the more you understand how much he delights to help you.

There’s very little I like hearing less than my child whining at me.  Whimpering and asking over and over.  That doesn’t move me to action as much as truthfully, it in a very human way, repels me.  But if one of my children come up to me, pat my arm, and loving look me in the eyes, I am moved to help them. Sometimes I get too busy, or distracted but  I have often asked, and taught them how to ‘break in’ to my thoughts and get my attention.

‘Come close. Remember that I’m a good momma who loves you and wants  to help.’    I am moved by and respond to their kind way of asking and yet their boldness to ask me directly.  When they look me in the eye and say “momma can you help me with this?” my heart is moved.

I see how this is often played out with God, too.  We throw out a request from the other room, distracted, but desperate.  We call out in his direction without actually taking the time to look at Him directly.  (If we did, it would change everything.)

 We work ourselves into a tizzy when we can have confidence in our Creator’s great love for us. We don’t have to beg God to move as much as we have to trust Him at His word. He is a good good Father. He is who He says He is, kind and compassionate, full of Love. We can look Him directly in the eye, talk to him about what we need and expect that he will  hear us in His great love.

He sees us, He loves us, and that love changes us.

Being closer changes our prayers.

As it happens, as we come close, as we let His love in and as it begins to heal our hearts, our prayers are changed too.  They begin to reflect the Loving heart of the Father. They start to line up with His heart and His purposes more. Because we’re getting to know Him, we begin to pray for His heart. We begin to ask for and trust His solutions. As we pray from that , we trust them.

What might have started as beautiful desperation grows into a place of maturity, and intimacy. As a beloved bride now, we ask. 

We’re praying from a place close enough to hear God’s whispers, and for Him to hear ours.

Prayer changes things. Most of all us. So no, it’s not a golden ticket to get whatever it is we might think we so desperately need. But it does give us what we do desperately need. A deep connection to a Love that’s bigger than us or anything we might lack. That is the answer to our every prayer.

And don’t be surprised when whole gardens of prayers grow out of there. Love cannot help but grow things; It is in its very nature. To make all things new. Better than you could imagine. Keep asking , keep drawing close, and be surprised by how prayer works the kind of miracle you need. ❤️