I wonder if sometimes, our prayers are too comfortable.

Lord, give me this.

Help me do this.

I need this.

Be close to that person.

You know the type of prayers I mean.

And I’m not even saying those prayers are wrong…I believe we can talk to God about anything.

But I wonder if sometimes our prayers are just too safe.

They’re prayers that ask God for things, but don’t require anything from ourselves.

They’re prayers that will never lead us out of our comfort zone.

They’re prayers that are

nice,

clean,

and

easy.

Last Sunday we talked about Psalm 139:23-24….

Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.

Now, that’s a brave prayer.

That’s a ‘I’m prepared for you to disrupt my life, God’ type of prayer.

A ‘come in and change me, Lord’ prayer.

That’s what I call a “growth” prayer.

The type of prayer where we recognise God’s desire for us is to conform us to the image of Christ. The type of prayer where we recognise our indwelling sin. The type of prayer where we confess, own our sin, repent, and cast ourselves upon God and His transformative grace.

And then here’s another prayer I came across this week.

It’s a Franciscan Benediction.

May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we may live deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, hunger, and war, so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done, to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Wow. wow. wow.

Get praying this.

I dare you.