Praying is a good thing. Always! For the believer prayer should be the first thing we go to. And yet we know that some prayers are more effective than others, at least to our human experience. So how should you pray during the COVID-19 crisis?
Human beings love to be in control. But in marriage, when one person tries to control another true intimacy is impossible. You know that’s true if your spouse is the control freak. But what can you control in your marriage?
Jesus had a wonderful way of asking questions. You may know the story well. Jesus sees a man lying on his mat, having been in that state for 38 years. And Jesus asks Him, “Do you want to be made whole?” (John 5:6) What does it mean to “be made whole”? What does wholeness look like?
Jesus accepts you just as you are. Unconditionally! And if you let Him, He has promised to take you to where He wants you to be. Hallelujah! Now wouldn’t it be nice if we had a one-two-three step plan to get there?
The problem isn’t always the real problem. Taking Tylenol when you have a fever doesn’t cure the infection. Mowing the grass doesn’t take out the weeds. It was the under-the-surface part of the iceberg that sank the Titanic. You need a cure, not a Band-Aid. Whatever metaphor you choose, problems won’t get better unless you get to the stuff underneath the surface.
