Q&A on Prayer

I was listening to a Q&A session tonight that was done by Preacher/Expositor, Tim Keller. In it he was being asked about the effectiveness of prayer and one point that he made is more than worth sharing . . .
He spoke about the prayer that Jesus' mother, Mary, must have cried out to God the night of her son's crucification. Realizing that she must have said something like . . . "You can't let my son die - He has so many wonderful things left to do." Keller pointed out that "God gave Mary what she would have prayed for if she knew what He (God) knew."

And that, my friends, is what you call praying the will of the Father. Whoa! But who of us - even the very mother of Christ - could pray that prayer? Is it within our ability as humans to do? WOW - Everything that is within me knows that the prayer SHOULD be prayed - but WOW - I willingly confess that I just can't see myself doing it. Oh, the support that I would need from You, Father!

Father God, knowing that You don't give people more than they can bear it's obvious that You saw something very special within the heart of Mary. Most of us, when faced with everyday difficulties are challenged to consider doing your will rather than our own but in the extraordinary circumstances of life we become overwhelmed. Help us, Father. We CAN'T face these circumstances - great or small - without knowing of Your presence. Help us, Father, through the blessed heart of Your Son, Jesus, just as You helped Mary on that night long ago.
Amen and Amen.
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