When something bad happens, even unbelievers may cry, “Oh my God!” because it’s instinctive to call out to God. Believers know that we shouldn’t misuse or treat God’s name irreverently & flippantly. When we use that phrase as a mindless exclamation, that’s exactly what we’re doing. But when the OMG phrase is used correctly, it’s actually a prayer.
Prayer really is key in dealing with problems. In the Psalms, David often called out in prayer in times of trouble (Ps. 38:21, 40:17, 59:1, 71:4, etc.). Jesus taught us not to worry because it doesn’t change or solve anything (Matt. 6:25-34). Worry is dwelling on problems that you can’t do anything about or at least feel helpless about. Worry is the opposite of trust. That’s why we’re to give such things over to God because He cares for us, knows what we need, & is able to help (Phil. 4:6, 1 Pet. 5:7). We lose our peace & joy when we neglect to pray.
Jesus invited us: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Matt. 7:7-11). Prayer moves the hand of God because it’s His children asking their heavenly Father. He wants to bless those who have come into His family through rebirth. We’re all creatures of God, made in His image, but only Christians are His children (John 1:12). He hears everyone’s prayers, but promises to respond to His sons & daughters. Those who are not counted as forgiven & righteous through Christ have no such promise (Prov. 15:29, 28:9, Ps. 66:18, Is. 59:1-2, 1 Pet. 3:12).
Even then, God doesn’t always answer the prayers of his children the way they want. We don’t know all the factors that go into God’s answers, but because He’s sovereign, He knows the big picture & what’s best. So we can trust Him. Prayer can also be dangerous because we may actually get what we ask for–which may not be what we need.
He invites us to pray continually (1 Thess. 5:17). So how much did you pray this week? C’mon admit it, your prayer life could be better. Don’t kid yourself that you don’t have time. If you don’t have time for that, then you’re missing what life is about. The reason why so many of us walk around in worry & discouragement is because our prayer life is so weak, carrying burdens & complaining about them but never asking our Father to lift them from us. We live as practical atheists–as if we had no Father in heaven.
Prayer is God’s appointed way for believers to get things. The world expects to get things through their own efforts–hard work, careful planning, or luck. But not Christians! We know that ultimately all good things come from God. A believer doesn’t rely on his own strength or cleverness. The way to get daily bread is to ask God for it (Matt. 6:11). Now that doesn’t give us the right to loaf around, expecting bread to fall from heaven. Even the Israelites who were given manna from heaven were expected to gather it up. Praying for something should also make us willing to work for it. We don’t depend upon our work but upon God to give us the results in answer to prayer.
God often uses human means to meet our needs. He uses our hard work to meet our mortgage payment. He uses a bottle of medicine to answer a prayer for healing. But he doesn’t always use such normal means. Sometimes He’ll completely bypass all human agencies. He can heal the sick without medicine. He can give jobs where you haven’t applied. He can send money you didn’t earn. Often, here’s your REAL problem: “You do not have, because you do not ask” (James 4:2). He longs to give, but He waits for you to ask. And not just once–it may take persistence (Luke 18:1-8, 11:5-10).
Yet God is no genie of the magic lamp. He desires to bless us, but don’t buy into the false teaching that Christians should always be healthy & prosperous. The Apostle Paul was turned down in his request to have his “thorn in the side” removed because there was something greater for Paul to learn through that difficult experience (2 Cor. 12:8-10). So we pray through every problem because if God’s not taking away the problem, He’s strengthening us to deal with it & overcome it.
So we come boldly to the throne of grace confidently because Jesus has given us access to the throne room through his death & resurrection (Heb 4:16). When Jesus was in turmoil he cried out “Abba” Father (Mark 14:36)–an Aramaic term of closeness & dependence that only a child would use (similar to our “Dada”). Because of Christ, we’re counted as children who don’t just call out, “Oh my God,” but who can cry out “Abba Father” (Rom. 8:15, 26-27).