What Would Jesus Thank God For?

A night or two before Thanksgiving, the Bible reading plan we follow with our kids at dinner put us in Luke 10. The heading above verse 21 said, “Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving.” Wow. What could be better? I thought to myself, "I can learn what Jesus was thankful for and be thankful for the same things on Thanksgiving."

Here’s the prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise and clever, and for revealing it to the childlike….” Hmmm. I wasn’t sure I totally understood this because Jesus seemed to be thanking God for hiding truth as well as revealing it, but I decided I could heartily join in the second part, remembering to thank God on Thanksgiving for revealing His truths to me. A couple verses later, in Luke 10:23-24, Jesus says to the disciples, “How privileged you are to see what you have seen. I tell you the truth, many prophets and kings have longed to see and hear what you have seen and heard, but they could not.” I thought about this. Abraham, David, Elijah, Moses—they lived their lives never seeing what we have seen—the power and love of God revealed in what Jesus said and did. And in the context in Luke, seventy-two followers of Jesus had just been spreading the word about Him and witnessing His power worked through them. These are privileges I don’t recognize on a daily basis, much less remember to thank God for. I tried to remember these yesterday during all the eating and other distractions.

But something was drawing me back to the passage this morning—maybe the thought that I should write about Jesus’ Thanksgiving prayer here. But how could I write about it with that kind of seemingly weird stuff at the beginning? I was sitting at my desk and I laid my head down on my open Bible and prayed in frustration, “God I don’t really get this. And, in fact, lately it seems like there have been a couple things in your Word I can’t understand fully. I feel like my mind can only get so far and then a dullness sets in.”

It was almost as if the words—on which my forehead was resting--streamed off the page and into my brain. The truth is hidden from those who think themselves clever. It is revealed to the childlike. You goofball.

So now here is my post-Thanksgiving prayer: “Lord, thank you for what you have revealed to me so far. But don’t let me think myself too clever. Give me a childlike mind—ready to absorb more, ready to ask persistent questions, knowing that I don’t know much yet at all—so that more can be revealed to me.”

…Jesus said, "Everything is possible for him who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Mark 9:23-24.

Waltzing into God's Office #2

On the same day Nancy Perot waltzed into her dad’s office, Perot’s son Ross Jr. also stopped by to say hello to dad. Ross Jr. was older than Nancy and immediately caught a sense of what was going on in his dad’s office that day. He recognized Bull Simons, a retired army colonel famous for an attempted POW prison raid and realized that his father must be planning a rescue mission.

Perot knew his son had caught on and so began to talk with him about what he wanted Ross Jr. to do in the event something happened to his dad. In particular, he asked his son to leave college—although he knew it would be a sacrifice--to come home and raise his sisters properly. Ross Jr. immediately replied with tears in his eyes, “Dad, that’s what I would have done even if you’d never brought it up.” The father and son reached a new level of closeness that day.

There are two things that are interesting to think about in this story.

First, Nancy and Ross Jr., despite their differing levels of maturity and responsibility, had equal access to their father. Both were free to stop in at any time. Both shared equally in their father’s love and attention that day. This is what God’s relationship with His children is like. We all have equal access and we each enjoy all his love and attention. So if you have something on your mind that you want to talk about with God, don’t deprive yourself because you think there are other people He’s going to pay more attention to. Billy Graham is not at the front of the line monopolizing all of God’s attention. God wants to hear from you no matter whether you’re a brand new Christian, a long-time Christian who really hasn’t paid much attention to Him for awhile or a world class evangelist. We all can waltz into the office anytime.

Second, Ross Jr. accepted responsibility from his father because he was ready to do so. It was natural and not some big, awful turning point. Some of us are afraid to get closer to God because we think He may ask us to give up something or do something hard. (I had lunch with a friend awhile back who told me she was afraid to get closer to God because He might bring hard stuff in her life into force her to grow more—and she was afraid NOT to get closer to God because He might bring hard stuff into her life to force her to draw close!) Yet, in my experience, God generally asks us to take on harder stuff only when we become mature enough and aware enough that taking on responsibility seems pretty much the natural thing to do--like Ross Perot Jr.’s reaction to his father. We are ready and willing to accept it even if we’d rather take an easier path. Like Ross Jr., we’re ready to say, “Of course, that’s what I think is best. That’s what I would have done anyway.” And do you think Ross Jr. walked away from the office that day thinking, “Boy, I wish I did not stop by?” I’m sure he was instead thinking, “I hope everything goes OK but, if not, at least I’m glad I had that talk with my father. I’m glad I know what he wants me to do and he has confidence in me.”

So don’t hesitate to waltz into God’s presence and enjoy your parent/child relationship because God might be handing out tough chores today. If you are at the “Nancy” stage you will enjoy a wonderful time snuggling with your dad and you will not be handed responsibilities you can’t handle. If you are at the “Ross Jr.” stage you will also enjoy a wonderful time with your father and you will be at the point that you quite naturally and with little regret accept whatever He has in store for you.

Waltzing in to God's Office

I’m reading Ken Follett’s On Wings of Eagles right now. (OK, so I’m reading it 20 years after everyone else did, but, hey, I’ve been busy for the past 20 years.) Anyway, there is a story in the book about the day Ross Perot and his employees began planning a commando-style raid to rescue two hostages from an Iranian jail on the eve of the revolution. Tensions were running high at Perot’s corporate headquarters as the men plotted the super-secret, super-dangerous mission. In the middle of all this, Ross Perot’s teenage daughter waltzed in to see her dad, calling out “Poops!” the pet name she used with him.

Apparently the Perot children were free to visit their dad at the office anytime and often did. Perot’s daughter had no idea what was going on at the office that day. She just wanted to say goodbye to her dad before she went back to school after the Christmas break. Did Perot shoo her away? Did he tell her not to bother him when he was obviously busy with more important things? No, of course not. He welcomed her with open arms, calling her “Little Nan,” and pulling her into his lap. He savored the opportunity to spend a few loving minutes with her.

What a great picture of the freedom we have to access our Father in His office in heaven. Yes, He is busy. Yes, He has important stuff going on. But we can just waltz in anytime calling Him by his pet name and He will welcome us with open arms. (Think I’m going too far with the pet name thing? Romans 8:15 says that we are God’s children and can cry, “Abba Father.” “Abba” is Aramaic for “Daddy,” pretty much a diminutive pet name.)

When you think about God, do you think of yourself as an entry level employee buried in a cubicle several floors below the CEO’s palatial office suite and and even farther beneath his notice? Or are you a mid-level manager tongue-tied in the presence of the boss, figuring he’ll think anything you say is wrong, unimportant or incredibly silly? You are NOT a lowly employee. You’re the CEO’s kid--the one who can ride up in a limo, walk past the secretary without an appointment and just stick you head in the door of the office. You can even sit on his lap. So, hey, start taking advantage of your access as often as possible.

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place....Let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting Him.” Hebrews 10:19-22

Praying Like a Kid #3 (Or Saying Thank You with a Clean Heart)

Well, you will be relieved to hear that we finally purchased the pumpkin. The best part of the event for me of course was when Connor jumped into the car after picking his pumpkin and said happily, “Thanks, Mom.” Amazingly, as he said thanks he looked down at his feet and his pumpkin and realized they were covered with dirt. Unprompted by me, he got himself and the pumpkin out of the car and attempted to wipe them off. Then he got back in the car and said, “OK, that’s the best I can do. Sorry I'm not cleaner. Thanks for the pumpkin, Mom.”

All of this is good stuff to remember when I thank God for answering my persistent prayers.

Praying Like a Kid #2 (Or How God Answers Like a Parent)

Back to Connor and his pumpkin…

There are several circumstances in which I will not get a pumpkin for my one-track mind son and it occurs to me that they can teach me something about God’s reactions to my prayers.

I will not take Connor to get a pumpkin:

--if he storms in and demands a pumpkin as his right.

--if he complains that I am unfair and never give him pumpkins.

--if the way he is handling the rest of his life (i.e., homework and chores) doesn’t line up with taking the afternoon to go pick pumpkins.

--if he asks for an entire truckload of pumpkins.

It’s not that Connor has to be perfect or ask perfectly in order to get a pumpkin (in which case we would never get any pumpkins). It’s just that because I am a parent I am going to provide pumpkins in a certain way--a way that will lead him to greater levels of maturity—knowing that he will lead a happier and healthier life in the long run.

There’s one other circumstance that will stop me from answering Connor’s requests for a pumpkin today. I won’t buy him a pumpkin if the timing is wrong. I won’t get Connor a pumpkin too early because it will rot before Halloween and I know he will be disappointed. I won’t get him a pumpkin when he asks at 7 am before church or 9 pm when he is in pajamas. I won’t get him a pumpkin when his sister is not available to go with us since I want both kids to enjoy pumpkin picking together. But rest assured, I will not wait too long since I know the best pumpkins will be gone soon. He needs to trust that I will take him for the pumpkin when the timing is right.

So when I bring my requests before God I’m going to try to remember to analyze them this way:

--Am I demanding something from God as a right? Or do I realize I am asking for a gift?

--Am I complaining that I never get anything from God? Or am I remembering all the good things He’s already given me?

--Am I expecting Him to do all the giving although I haven’t bothered to do the basics He expects from me?

--Am I being a greedy pig? Or am I trusting that whatever amount He gives me will be exactly the right amount?

-- And do I want my request answered right this second? Or do I trust that His timing is the best timing because He knows more than me about my future?

Praying Like a Kid

There’s another characteristic of a child’s conversations with his parent that I think Christ wants us to understand when we pray: persistence. When a child asks Dad for something, he is a broken record. He has a one-track mind. He just keeps on asking day and night.

Right now my son is focused on getting a pumpkin. He began asking in early September back when any pumpkin we bought would have rotted before Halloween. He asked to be taken to get a pumpkin when I was in the middle of cooking dinner on Saturday night. He asked at 7 am on Sunday morning when we were trying to get ready for church. He asked again last night when he was already in pajamas. He asked me to bring the car to his bus stop after school today so we can immediately rush to the farm stand. And this persistence will continue until we get the pumpkin. Then it will switch to “When can we carve my pumpkin? Can we do it right now?”

We don’t usually use that kind of persistence when it comes to talking to God. At least I don’t. For one thing, it seems almost rude. For another, I get distracted and forget what I’m praying about and start making a grocery list or loading the dishwasher. But I think God wants us to be persistent. Right after Christ taught the disciples the Lord’s Prayer, He posed a hypothetical: Suppose you go to your friend at midnight and ask for some food. At first your friend may say, “It’s late, don’t bother me.” But because of your boldness he will get up and give you all that you need. Christ then explained: So what I’m saying is this, ask and keep on asking, knock and keep on knocking ( Luke 11:5-9.) His point really couldn’t be more obvious, could it? But just in case we missed it, Jesus made it again in Luke 18. He told the disciples a parable “to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (Read the story in Luke 18:1-8.)

Think about Abraham, arguing with God about destroying Sodom. He bargained with God a full six rounds. And this did not anger God. Each time, God granted his request. (I think if I had been in God's shoes I might have said, “You know Abraham, not only am I going to destroy Sodom but I think I’m going to destroy you along with it!”) Think of Jacob wrestling with God: “I will not let you go until you bless me.” Think of Moses constantly going to God and saying, “I can’t deal with these people. You deal with them.” The examples we have in the “Bible greats” are of boldness in approaching God, boldness almost to the point of audacity.

Now this idea of persistence can get me down. It sounds too burdensome. I don’t have enough time to pray and keep on praying, right? But when I begin to feel this way, I’m going to think of Connor and his pumpkin. It is no burden to him to constantly ask me for a pumpkin. He is not sitting in school today thinking, “How can I work in enough time to ask Mom for a pumpkin today? I’ll set aside 20 minutes between play and homework. I’ll vow to do it every day. I’ll sit her down and get real serious. I’ll start a pumpkin journal. I’ll get on my hands and knees and beg for a pumpkin.” No. He’ll just blow in the door this afternoon, taking it for granted that I am glad to see him and ask for a pumpkin. He has every confidence that I will take him to get a pumpkin when I judge the time is right. And you know what? I will.

"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most High Place...let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith...." Hebrews 10:19-22.

Prayer: A Quick Cell Phone Call Home

While we’re talking about prayer, here’s something I learned recently…

My 10-year-old son did sleep-away camp for the first time this summer. Now sleep-away camps are a lot different today than they were when we were kids. At least his was. He was welcome—in fact, he was encouraged--to call us by cell phone at anytime. And I can’t tell you what a comfort it was when we dropped him off to know that he would be able to call me immediately if he had a problem.

What I discovered during the week he was away, however, was that I valued the cell phone for non-emergencies as well. I truly delighted in receiving any phone call from Connor, especially those in which he wasn’t relating a problem or asking for something. I loved hearing how he and his friends were negotiating this strange new world of camp, how they learned they could order a pizza and have the camp store split the bill four ways, how he enjoyed the big breakfasts, learned a new lacrosse move, won a game, etc. The very best calls were when he called just to say “hello.” It was great to hear in his voice that he was enjoying this opportunity his father and I had provided for him, that he was thinking of us and wanted us to know what was going on in his life.

I occurred to me that God loves to get the same kind of calls from us. “Hey, I’m doing OK today. I love the food (or fun or work or whatever) you provide. I’m learning some new stuff.” Afterall, He’s the one who said we now have the status of sons in His eyes, so much so that we can call Him “Abba, Father,” an affectionate term that means Daddy. He must long to hear the same stuff we as parents long to hear from our kids.

Remembering how I loved getting those calls from Connor that said pretty much nothing--remembering God as an interested and involved parent just waiting for a call-- has encouraged me to pray more throughout the day. Quick little prayers in which I don’t really say much except, “Hey Father. I’m thinking of you. Thanks for being here with me.” We don’t always need long, formal prayer times with detailed prayer lists and open Bibles at our sides. We just need to reach out to a Father who is waiting to hear any small tidbit from kids He loves.