Prayer from God’s perspective

Today we’re thrilled to share a blog from Alison Murr, all the way from Bethel in California.  Alison and Haydon will be blogging monthly for us, offering a Stateside perspective on our teaching series.  

Just recently Father God, or Papa God as we say here at Bethel, has been showing me a new side to himself and that is: that he is the initiator. But – you might say – come on, Alison he created this universe, of course he is the initiator.  But how about on a personal level?  If we think about it from this angle, I think it can give us a whole new perspective on prayer.

We can often look at prayer as seeking and knocking and asking (all good and to be encouraged); we know it is about relationship, us coming to him to talk about our day, our lives, our problems and finding his love and comfort.  But what about God’s perspective? How does he see it?

I believe  he comes to find us, he searches for us, he waits for us, he misses us, he longs to be with us.  He first loved us, he called out to Adam and Eve a heart rending “where are you?” as he searched for them in the garden.  He is the lover running across the hills in Song of Solomon to find us, he is the father running out to see his son after waiting for him every day (in the story of the prodigal son).

I like to tell my children that I love them pretty much every day if I can and if I feel I don’t know what’s going on with them I will go and find them and initiate conversation to have relationship and to connect.

Here at Bethel we are reminded that God is not just a bigger, nicer version of ourselves; he is totally ‘other’! And it is hard for us to grasp how much he is for us and how he is the initiator. How much he longs to meet our deep longings and to share his secrets with us.  Yes, like a parent who recognizes our moods, he rushes to see us to ask us how we are, what we are feeling, if he can help, advise and encourage? It feels a bit much, doesn’t it, especially if you are delicately English like me. Other cultures can be more used to people that “gush” their affection and would be able to understand this side of God perhaps more. His love for us is as high as the heavens are above the earth – it should feel overwhelming and incomprehensible!

So can you say out loud “God comes to find me because he longs for me with a passion” ? Try it! God initiated promise and relationship with Abraham and his people, and how many times did he keep coming to find the Israelites in the Old Testament to keep calling them back to himself? (Answer: a lot).

Prayer is all about intimacy with God.  John, Jesus’ most intimate friend, when he was on earth called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved. He didn’t call himself the disciple who really loved God but the disciple who knew that Jesus came to find him and loved him and initiated.

Bill Johnson says a shocking thing – there is one thing more important than loving God…and it’s knowing how much God loves you.