This episode of the Weekday Podcast explores the concept of God's love and how it shapes our prayer life. Inspired by a reflection from Philip Yancey, Pastor Chuck emphasizes that many people mistakenly view God as harsh rather than as a loving, forgiving, and compassionate Father. He highlights that hiding from God due to fear or shame reflects a lack of trust and creates unnecessary distance. Instead, we are encouraged to approach God authentically, recognizing His immense love and desire for relationship with us, as expressed in Psalm 103. The episode concludes with an invitation to set aside barriers and connect with God in prayer, assured of His grace and compassion.
Thanks so much for that introduction and thanks for joining me on today's weekday podcast.
A professor at Cambridge by the name of David Ford asked a Catholic priest one time what was the most common problem that he encountered in 20 years of hearing confession. Without an ounce of hesitation, the priest replied, "God," let me say that one more time, quote God, end quote.
Very few of the parishioners that he meets and confessions, he said, "behave as if God is a God of love, forgiveness, gentleness and compassion. They see God as someone to cower before, not as someone like Jesus worthy of our trust." He goes on and says, "this is perhaps the hardest truth of any people to grasp. Do we wake up every morning amazed that we're loved by God? Do we allow our day to be shaped by God's desire to relate to us?"
Well, when I read that in the book "Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference" By Philip Yancey, I began to think to myself, does my image of God more than anything else determine the degree of honesty and the degree of sincerity in my prayer? And the answer is absolutely. Do I trust God with my authentic self?
Oftentimes we hide ourselves in fear that God's going to be displeased with us. But in fact, the hiding might be what displeases and breaks God's heart the most. You know, from my side, the wall seems like self protection. From God's side, it looks like a lack of trust. In either case, the wall keeps us apart until we fully acknowledge our desperation and need for God's surpassing desire to meet it. And when I finally approach God in recognition of who he is and and who I'm not, then I realize I don't find a tyrannical beast. I find a loving, gracious, heavenly Daddy.
Paul prayed that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and how high and how deep is the love of Jesus Christ. I don't think Paul prayed this one time wrote it and it was over. I mean, honestly, the most important purpose of prayer might be that we often offer this nonstop the recognition that God here is the truest form of me. I know how desperately I need you.
The psalmist put it this way in Psalm 103:10-14, "God does not treat us as our sins deserve, or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For he knows how we are formed. He remembers that we are dust." Oh my friend, what a beautiful and wondrous thing to know that we can come before a holy and a righteous God in our perfectly imperfect self and bear all things before him and he greets us in love and graciousness.
So today, whatever may have kept you from praying before, lay that down and then step into the throne room of God, knowing He cannot wait to talk with you today.
God bless you, and thanks for joining me on today's Weekday podcast.
