©2002 Charles Darby
When is Prayer a Cop-Out?
I believe just what the Bible says, in that we should “pray without ceasing”. Communication, prayer, with God is always in order. God is a Christian's source for everything that is good and needed in this life and the life to come.
Having said that, there are some prayers that are no more than a “cop-out”. We are, sometimes; prone to ask God to do something we just don't want to do ourselves. If we are able to answer the prayer we are praying, why do we ask God to do it?
Before I retired I was an insurance agent. One of the agents I worked with told me the following. He approached a house, on his route, and heard the man praying loudly for the Lord to give him a job. When the man came to the door, the agent said, “I could answer that prayer for you.” I know where you can go to work now! The man didn't want to go to work. He was just praying for the agent to hear! Was not his prayer a cop-out?
James 2:15-16 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
This scripture says if we can answer the prayer that we should do it. If a person needs food or clothing and we have the clothing or food we should give it in our Lord's name. Would it not be better to ask God to give us always something to give in His name? Then when the need arises we already have what it takes to meet the needs.
What are we saying when we pray for God to meet a persons needs when He has already blessed us so we can meet the need? Are we saying we want to keep it for ourselves and not freely give? Our works demonstrates true faith.
Thank you for reading.
