“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts
Isaiah 55:9
Did you ever bargain with God in your prayer? I’m guessing that you have. During the Second World War there was a saying about such prayers- “foxhole prayers”. That is, desperate soldiers, in literal fear for their life, offered desperate prayers. Things like, “God, if you get me out of here alive, I’ll dedicate my life to you. I’ll join the priesthood!”
I suppose that if many of those men followed up on those promises, we would not have had a priest shortage! Don’t get me wrong, I am not blaming those brave and desperate soldiers who offered such a prayer. No doubt I would have done the same thing.
But God is not looking for bargaining when we lift our hearts in prayer. He knows how desperate we are and how scared we might be. He wants the best for us. But it is also likely that some of the men who offered such prayers did indeed die in that war or another conflict.
God is sovereign, and he does not answer to us. We know and trust that he loves us, but he owes us nothing. Indeed, he is the giver of life, and he sees life as sacred, but he has also given us free will. With that gift, we have chosen so very poorly at times that we have created impossible situations for ourselves.
We pray not knowing the outcome, but we pray with the assurance that God wants our communication with him.
Prayer: Lord, your ways are higher than our ways, Amen
Reflections of a Counselor 