Confessions and Confusion

This week I've had to witness the deterioration of my wife's health which ended up sending her to theater. Looking at her and listening to her burdened sigh amid confessions of 'a broken and dispairing spirit', I found myself wondering: What do I say to her and what should that achieve? I mumbled 'ho tla loka' meaning things shall be ok. But honestly, upon what exactly was I basing that statement? What qualified me to pronounce a word like that? Was this just an insincere drivel of a bewildered husband who knew not what else to say?

I found myself thinking: what does it take to have God intervene in my wife's situation therefore mine? A silly question crossed my mind as to how should one pray that might bring relief to my wife. Now I must admit that that is normally counter my view on the matter of prayer and God. From my seminary days I battled to settle who or what to credit in a situation of supernatural providence. Is it our prayers, is it how and what type of prayer that brings answers or is it God regardless of the type of prayer we make? Why do some people become rich selling books and other media which purport to have discovered an effective way of praying to get results?

I have from long time ago refrained from saying much on prayer and results. I have held a view that God the Sovereign cannot be manipulated like an automated machine. My take on the matter is that prayer gets answered because he has committed His Majesty to doing that. However, many prayers go unanswered despite His commitment to answering prayer. But we just cannot give with certainty the reasons for the absence if not refusal to answer. Consequently, I become irate when somebody pronounces themselves on prayer and its efficacy with abundant enthusiasm. I find in me a rebel against any extracting of principles on effective prayer based on some prayer some chap in the good book prayed. I sometimes wonder whether that prayer was answered that we now are so eager to pattern our prayer after. The problem with me is that behind such an approach lurks a theory that right prayer or even right method brings results with God- a thing which threatens to reduce God to an object.

So normally, my 'appearances' and engagements with His Majesty are such that His person is respected. My attitude if I may describe it, is that of a creature before The Creator. As such, I make my needs, desires, fears, etc known without forcefulness. I leave the outcomes to His Providence and try to continue celebrating the gifts of life. BUT THIS WEEK I FOUND MYSELF WONDERING WHETHER THERE IS A PARTICULAR WAY OF PRAYING THAT WOULD RESULT IN GOD HEALING MY WIFE FOR SHE IS STILL SICK! What do you think about all these?