Taking Aim

April 15, 2020

Last fall, I neglected one of the cardinal rules of hunting. Noticing a deer ambling across my field of view, I got too excited, and instead of taking careful aim, it was a “point and shoot” scenario. Needless to say, that deer took off, as did the four others behind her that I didn’t see. Accuracy with a rifle requires the target, the front, and the rear sight to be aligned in a single plane. It takes three points of reference to make an accurate shot.

Much of life is like that, and we get into trouble when our only point of reference is our present experience. The Biblical analogy for me is to line up the message of the Gospel, my present experience, and the ultimate goal of all Creation bowing before Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11). Yesterday as I was reading through the eighth chapter of Romans, I noticed a three-fold alignment I hadn’t seen before. In verse 22, Paul says all of Creation “groans” with birth pangs, laboring toward its ultimate redemption. In verse 23, Paul says that we ourselves “groan,” waiting for the redemption of our body. Lastly, in verse 26, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with “groanings that cannot be uttered.”

Creation, ourselves, and the Holy Spirit are all doing the same thing, deeply longing for the full redemption of all Creation. Following this amazing assertion, Paul makes that grand statement that “all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose” (v. 28). Christians love to quote this verse, especially in times of trouble, but we seldom take time to ask what it means. One thing we know from experience: it doesn’t mean everything is necessarily going to turn out the way we want. He continues, guiding us to the goal of being “conformed to the image of his Son” (v.29). 

That goal may include a great deal of trials and troubles because they are the tools God uses to mold and shape us into the image of Christ. Jesus himself said that if he had to endure suffering, we shouldn’t be surprised to have to go through the same furnace he went through.

Sometimes we wonder if our prayers are “according to God’s will” because they are the only prayers Jesus promised to answer. Here’s one way of making sure ours pass muster: If my prayers line up with the groanings of Creation and the groanings of the Holy Spirit as they long for full redemption, they are according to God’s will. If my prayers instead are selfish, petty, and picayune, I have no reason to expect a divine answer. The glory of God revealed in the redemption of all Creation through the insurmountable love of Christ poured out upon the Cross is the ultimate goal of all genuine prayer. 

Praying in the will of God is a matter of paying attention to the things Creation and the Holy Spirit groan about, and pressing those purposes and longings into prayer for the glory of Christ. It’s not easy to do, so I am grateful for the Scriptures that over and over are the foundation and pattern for my prayers. Without them, my prayers would degenerate into a wish list of personal and often petty concerns. Without the Scripture, I am only “point and shooting,” and too often missing the target. But with them, I can line up my prayer sights so I am hitting the target of God’s glory in Jesus Christ.