Helpless

I am reading a book called "A Praying Life" by Paul Miller and one particular chapter has just jumped out, grabbed me by the head and infused itself into my brain. I can tell you that it is transforming the way I look at prayer. Because, if I am being honest, here is how I have looked at prayer:

1)How we talk to God
2)A Discipline
3)Deepens our Relationship with Him
4)A command in Scripture
5)Something I am to do without ceasing yet seem to be able to cease very easily!

Of course, there are so many other reasons to pray and so much more that I could write about why I should pray and the need for it....but chapter 6 was like looking through the lens of a camera and finding the focal point of picture; and that point helps bring everything else into it's proper focus and balance....Learning to be Helpless. That's the title and that's the focal point of prayer! Here are a few quotes from the chapter (he explains it much better than I could):

"We tell ourselves, "Strong Christians pray a lot. If I were a stronger Christian, I'd pray more." Strong Christians do pray more, but they pray more because they realize how weak they are. They don't try to hide it from themselves. Weakness is the channel that allows them to access grace."

"Little children are good at helplessness. It's what they do best. But as adults, we soon forget how important helplessness is. I, for one, am allergic to helplessness. I don't like it. I want a plan, an idea, or maybe a friend to listen to my problem. This is how I instinctively approach everything because I am confident in my own abilities."

"We received Jesus because we were weak, and that's how we follow Him. Paul told the Colossians, "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him."(2:6). We forget that helplessness is how the Christian life works."

"Surprisingly, mature Christians feel less mature on the inside. When they hear Jesus say, "Apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5), they nod in agreement. They reflect on all the things they've done without Jesus, which have become nothing. Mature Christians are keenly aware that they can't raise their kids. It's a no-brainer. Even if they are perfect parents, they still can't get inside their kid's hearts. That's why strong Christians pray....It didn't take me long to realize I did my best parenting by prayer. I began to speak less to the kids and more to God. It was actually quite relaxing." ( He was speaking of his teenage children in the last section)


When I am not "praying without ceasing" it's not because I just need to be more disciplined or need to stop being so busy...it's that I need to be preaching to myself just how helpless I am. Because, when I truly live that "apart from Him I can do nothing"...I won't just sit at the foot of the cross, I will be clinging to it...every moment of every day! I will echo Solomon's prayer in 1 Kings 3:7:

"...I am but a little child; I do not know how to go our or come in."