Whether people really believe that it falls on listening ears, many pray anyway. I think it is in our very nature to pray. The Church teaches that we pray to a real being. God listens to our prayers and answers them as He sees fit in his awesome wisdom and love. How easy it is to pray! To thank Him for what we have and ask Him for what we do not. How much harder it is to pay attention to when those prayers are answered.
In C.S. Lewis’ book The Screwtape Letters, Screwtape is an underling of whom they call Father Below, or Satan. The book consists of letters Screwtape is writing to his nephew Wormwood. His nephew is trying to corrupt a young man who has recently become a Christian and a follower of God, or as Screwtape calls him, the Enemy. In one of his early letters, Screwtape writes about prayer. He says, “But of course the Enemy will not meantime be idle. Whenever there is prayer, there is danger of His own immediate action. He is cynically indifferent to the dignity of His position, and ours, as pure spirits, and to human animals on their knees He pours out self-knowledge in a quite shameless fashion.”
Screwtape is speaking to his nephew about human prayer and how often it is not to a Person we are praying but to “something entirely spontaneous, inward, informal, and unregularised.” How often we pray without remembering we pray to an actual Being who is listening and paying attention and wishing to give us our every positive desire! If I’m not careful, I mutter out some prayer without real thought and climb into bed, my body asleep before my head hits the pillow. In fact, it was asleep before I started that prayer! How rude of me to treat God in that way when He is listening to my every word with care.
I have recently reaffirmed my faith and testimony in the power of prayer. Sometimes, without realizing it, I fall into states of dissatisfaction. There is something in my life at those points that just isn’t right. Sometimes I am aware of what it is and sometimes I am not. Recently I have been thinking more about where my life is going, what direction I am headed, what road I am taking, etc. Without really realizing it, I fell into this pitying state. “All my friends are married, engaged, having babies, on their missions, or leaving for their missions.” This has been my mindset. And understandably, it had me pretty down. I wanted to go on my mission so badly last November I could hardly stand to still be in school! But, as is often the case, God had a different plan. And I am where I am. Lately, that desire has come again. And it is welcome. But before I go on my mission I want to make very certain my knee will hold up under the strain. This means I am waiting until next year to leave. This knowledge has not really helped my before mentioned state of mind.
What helped, was prayer. I lay in bed and I cried to God for help. Who in our lives is more able, or more willing, to lend it? Prayer itself makes me feel better. That is because I know it falls on listening ears. I know that God is listening to my every sobbing word, able to understand in a way no one else ever can. But prayer alone does not usually fix a situation. After reading that passage in C.S. Lewis’ book I came to the realization that my prayer was not complete. I had prayed, God had answered that prayer, but I had not taken the time to realize it. When I prayed to Him, I asked for help and guidance and friendship.
Because of his infinite love for me, my Father in Heaven answered that prayer, as He so often does, through other people. And until I realized this, my prayer wasn’t complete and neither was my gratitude. You see, God does listen, and He answers, and it is our job to be thankful. Part of being thankful is reflecting back on those prayers we utter to see how and where and when they were answered. How can you be grateful for something if you do not realize it has been given to you?
“Whenever there is prayer, there is danger of His own immediate action…He pours out self-knowledge in a quite shameless fashion.” Don’t you just love Heavenly Father? Knowing that you can pray whenever you need, or want to? I do. It is a grand comfort to me to have that knowledge. I am grateful for the answers to my prayers and when I look back to see where and how they were answered, I am filled with overwhelming gratitude and love for that Being that loves me so much. Screwtape had it right; God answers our prayers in a shameless way. He is our Father. And what father allows their child to go comfortless when it is in his power to comfort?
The following are the words to one of my favorite songs, “You are my Home” from the musical The Scarlet Pimpernel:
There is a child inside my heart tonight
No one can see that child but you
If I hold on to you too tight
You understand, you hold me too
You are the one who reaches through the night
When I’m afraid, you warm the air
And, when I close my eyes to sleep
You are my peace, you are my prayer
You are my home
You make me strong
And in this world of strangers
I belong to someone
You are all I know
You’re all I have
I won’t let go
Others may leave but you will still be there
Touching the tears that fill my eyes
When I am lost, you are my light
You are the love that never dies
You are my home
You make me strong
And in this world of strangers
I belong to someone
You are all I know
You’re all I have
I need you so
I won’t let go
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