The reason many of us stop praying and become hard on God is that we only have an emotional interest in prayer. It sounds good to say we pray, and we read books about prayer that tell us that prayer is beneficial – that our minds are quieted and our souls uplifted when we pray. But Isaiah implies in this verse that God is amazed at such thoughts about prayer.
Adoration and intercession must go hand in hand; one is impossible without the other. Intercession means lifting ourselves up to the point of obtaining the spirit of Christ concerning the person for whom we are praying (see Philippians 2:5). Instead of worshiping God, we recite talks to God about how prayer is supposed to work. Are we worshiping God or challenging Him when we say, «But God, I just don’t see how you’re going to do that»? It is a sure sign that we are not worshipping. When we lose sight of God, we become harsh and dogmatic. We launch our petitions to his throne and tell him what we want him to do. We do not worship God, nor do we seek to conform our minds to the mind of Christ. And if we are hard on God, we will become hard on others.
A Labor of Love
I am perhaps more intimate with My Utmost for His Highest because I wrote Mrs. Oswald Chambers – the compiler’s biography.
Biddy Chambers has taken on a God-given task, to share her husband’s works and ideas about God with the world.