Bored! or Board Meeting? - 18 February 2010

I’d like to present you with a couple of scenarios for your consideration.

Scenario 1. Imagine, if you would, a company board meeting – directors and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).  Imagine that as the meeting develops a pattern emerges – the directors simply put a list of requests before the CEO: would you mind looking after this matter for me….would you help me with….and so on and so forth.  I can picture the CEO sitting at the table, hands clasped in front of him, incredulous at what is unfolding.  It’s not long before his arms are folded and his face has a glazed expression.  It’s just a matter of time before he explodes or calls a halt to the meeting.

Scenario 2. Imagine now that same group of directors meeting with their CEO. They have come together to work through an agenda set by the CEO and agreed by them.  Ideas are shared, insights gathered, specialist knowledge explained, decisions taken.  As the meeting progresses, each member is aware of what is required of him in reaching a particular goal.  The meeting breaks up with the CEO being very aware of his leadership role and the directors mindful of their share of the burden.

My question is this: which of the above scenarios does our prayer life most resemble?  Do we come before God solely to make requests or do we meet with Him, receive His agenda and seek His counsel?  Perhaps we could make a conscious effort to replace the word “prayer” with “meeting with God”. Jesus met with God regularly; wouldn’t you just love to have a “fly on the wall” insight into those times.  They talked, they shared, they laughed and maybe they cried too as they worked out our redemption.

Text of the day:

This is what the Lord says, He who made the earth…:  Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and unsearchable things that you do not know.  Jeremiah 33: 2-3 [NIV]