Wish Lists
The other day I was rushing out the door to an appointment when I looked at the list I had written of what I had hoped to get done in the hour before I needed to leave the house. Only one of the items on the list was accomplished and I hadn't wasted any time. What about the other 3 things? "That's was a wish list..... not a to-do list!" I said to myself.
The idea has stuck with me so I have been pondering it and talking with people about it over the last two days. What I have realized is that I make wish lists instead of making realistic plans. This has been a long-term chronic time management problem of mine. My lists can get really long! They are more lists of things I wished were done/completed than things I am willing or able to do in the time available. Maybe I am hoping my life will be like a montage in a movie when days and weeks of work get completed by the end of a song! But life isn't a movie and there is no sound track to my life. This means if I want to quit being so frustrated with myself, I need to change. My plan is to write the wish list and then set my mind to realism and write a to-do list. I am excited to see how it goes.
The "wish list" prompted me to think about prayer. Can our prayer lists actually be wish lists? A list of things that I want or I think should happen in situations instead of praying for God's will to be done? This is a challenging question for me. I know that I do pray, "Not my will, but yours be done, Lord". But how often? Do I pray it only for certain areas of my life or the lives of others? Am I truly opened handed towards God? Am I willing to listen to God's Word and Spirit to discern a prayer that would be according to His will? Do I experience frustration in God's lack of answers to my prayers when really it is God's lack of doing MY will?
I need to think about these questions when I am praying and encourage you to as well if it is applicable to you. What I think it comes down to is this - am I praying as Paul instructs in Eph. 6:17-18?
"and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints." (ESV)
or if you are more used to NIV
"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."
Here is the prayer, I am praying as I think about my prayer list not being a "wish list":
Lord, guide us and teach us how to pray. Help us to pray in the Spirit in accordance with Your will.
We ask this in Jesus' name and for Your glory.
Amen
The idea has stuck with me so I have been pondering it and talking with people about it over the last two days. What I have realized is that I make wish lists instead of making realistic plans. This has been a long-term chronic time management problem of mine. My lists can get really long! They are more lists of things I wished were done/completed than things I am willing or able to do in the time available. Maybe I am hoping my life will be like a montage in a movie when days and weeks of work get completed by the end of a song! But life isn't a movie and there is no sound track to my life. This means if I want to quit being so frustrated with myself, I need to change. My plan is to write the wish list and then set my mind to realism and write a to-do list. I am excited to see how it goes.
The "wish list" prompted me to think about prayer. Can our prayer lists actually be wish lists? A list of things that I want or I think should happen in situations instead of praying for God's will to be done? This is a challenging question for me. I know that I do pray, "Not my will, but yours be done, Lord". But how often? Do I pray it only for certain areas of my life or the lives of others? Am I truly opened handed towards God? Am I willing to listen to God's Word and Spirit to discern a prayer that would be according to His will? Do I experience frustration in God's lack of answers to my prayers when really it is God's lack of doing MY will?
I need to think about these questions when I am praying and encourage you to as well if it is applicable to you. What I think it comes down to is this - am I praying as Paul instructs in Eph. 6:17-18?
"and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints." (ESV)
or if you are more used to NIV
"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."
Here is the prayer, I am praying as I think about my prayer list not being a "wish list":
Lord, guide us and teach us how to pray. Help us to pray in the Spirit in accordance with Your will.
We ask this in Jesus' name and for Your glory.
Amen
Thank you Tracy for such an insightful post. I too relate very much to the problem you describe and the way you define it here (the problem of creating "wish-lists" rather than realistic to do lists) is very helpful. Your points about prayer are indeed challenging but very important for us to think about and they resonate with me this morning as I had been prompted to think along similar lines this week.
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