Which word do you think is used most in our prayers? Jesus, God, please, help, or me? Nope. Listen next time. Listen to others pray. Listen to yourself pray. When you hear it will become so obvious. It will become so distracting. Once you recognize it this one word will start to drive you crazy. You will begin to giggle when you hear others pray. I dare you to keep count. You wont be able to keep up. I promise you. I’ve tried it.
It’s a simple word. It is usually used an adjective but when we pray its used as an adverb. Give up?
“Just”
Read this and see how natural it feels…”Lord, if you will just show me, just reveal what you just want me to be or just become. Lord, just please. Just make yourself known or just shower us with just your blessings. Just come and just be here. Just love on us…” You get the idea.
So what does “just” mean? Like I said, it is an adverb and means, “brief, by a narrow margin; barely; only or merely.” Is that what we mean when we pray to an all mighty sovereign creator God of the universe? “Lord, please reveal yourself to us briefly, by the most narrowest of margins, barely, only, and merely.”
Or is “just” a filler like we say “ummmm.” I hope its only that. But what if it isn’t? What if the word “just” is a window in to our faith? What if we don’t have the courage and boldness to pray for more than a brief, narrow, barely, only, merely prayer?
So I challenge us all. Pray tonight alone and listen to your words. Listen as the word “just” starts to creep in to a sentence and say NO! In stead of praying, “Lord, just make yourself known to me.” Pray, “Lord, make yourself known”….and believe it.
Remove the word “just” from your prayers and pray boldly as John tells us in 1 John 5…”My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he’s listening. And if we’re confident that he’s listening, we know that what we’ve asked for is as good as ours.”
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