What did I just ask for?
What did I just ask for?
In the last blog we talked about Christianese – the unique language of the believer that seems to pepper the conversations of the modern church - that have no counterpart in the common vernacular. There should be an English=Christianese handbook for new believers, but these are words and phrases you pick up after you’ve been around for a minute. So, I encourage you to take my advice from last week and don’t just know the words you are speaking – understand them. Take the time to investigate EXACTLY what you are saying and why. Then examine them based on what Scripture says and evaluate using them according to the knowledge and understanding of your listener.
Let’s start with two common prayers you will hear, and if you are like me, just say a hearty ‘amen’ to when you are in a group. The reasoning is, of course, that the others who’ve been Christian disciples longer than I have said them, therefore, they must be legitimate and good.
The first one is a prayer for ‘traveling mercies.’ Sounds obvious – we are asking God to ensure a safe and effortless journey. The origins of such a prayer are also obvious – there was a time when just going to the next town over was fraught with peril. Opportunists and bandits, wild animals and weather, a person was leaving the relative safety of his home to venture into the unknown. There weren’t motels, bathrooms and fast-food stops every mile or so and certainly no law enforcement officers cruising the byways to ensure public safety. Even though we Americans have all those conveniences and more, the national highways can still be made treacherous by weather, misfortune, and wrecks. Since it would take a while to pray for protection from EVERY possibility, the term ‘mercies’ is a catch-all and makes the request short and sweet and all-encompassing. Although the apostle Paul traveled quite a bit, he didn’t necessarily pray for his safety, but he did exhort us to take every concern to the Lord in prayer. Praying for travel mercy, of course, falls within the teachings of the Bible. In short-hand, and in the context of modern jargon, it means ‘take care of my peeps while they roam, God.’
The second prayer is for a ‘hedge of protection.’ Again, it sounds obvious, although a bit obscure. Why wouldn’t you just pray for a stone wall? Or a titanium dome? Or an electric fence?The hedge is significant because it comes from the book of Job. The landowners of the time would plant a row of thorn bushes around the entire property as it was much easier and less expensive to raise than stone walls. Usually, it was a painful enough deterrent against wild animals – and would delay an armed force long enough for the inhabitants to be alerted to their presence. Satan poses the idea to God that Job is only faithful because he has not been tested by adversity since God had this ‘spiritual’ hedge of protection around him. So, it basically means that you are praying for God to protect this person from the schemes of the enemy.
There is a deeper understanding here that we might contemplate. When used in the context of God’s mercy, you are asking for His unmerited compassion. When used in the context of God’s protection, you are asking for undeserved security.We’ve got to know that we are asking for ‘special’ treatment that could possibly be the opposite of what God has planned despite being totally unworthy of such consideration. And we must praise Him when the answer is the complete reverse of what we asked for! No one asks for inconvenience, adversity, or tragedy, let alone to be swallowed up in evil stratagems, but we must be willing to praise Him in these circumstances as well. It is a hard word to accept sometimes, but it is true that more of us find Jesus in the valley than on the mountain. Don’t forget that God has used men swayed by the devil to further His purposes as well. And some triumphed! King David for one prime example, persevered and was later described as ‘the apple’ of God’s eye.
Again, praying for ‘travel mercy’ and ‘a hedge of protection’ aren’t BAD things. We just have to ALWAYS pray (and mean it) ‘Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ And be sure you are sensitive to the others around you. For the new believer, these prayers can sound rote, gratuitous, and weak and can also come off seeming a bit smug because you know a thing. As in all things, say what you mean and mean what you say. Don’t be afraid to pray like you talk. You might just enlighten a friend and trust me; God can take it.
Until next time, let your yes be YES and your no be NO.
In His Service,
<>< Cass
