It's not running away!
What do I have to say or do to get God’s attention?
I eat too fast.
I really wolf my food down. And it makes Liv, my wife, chuckle.
“It’s a sandwich, dear,” she says. “It’s not running away.”
She’s not wrong. But let’s be clear: neither am I. My sandwich might not be running away, but there’s no such thing as a sure bet in this world of scarcity. I’m always one capricious decision away from being fired, one natural disaster away from being homeless, one stock-market crash away from being in a bread line.
I’m not trying to scare you. I’m just trying to cut through the BS and say it like it is. And that’s why it’s understandable that we often pray like God is running away! Because it frequently feels like he is!
Can you relate?
- I really need an extra $5k in the bank to pay those bills this month.
- I really need another person in my life — someone to love me and be loved by me.
- I really need to know what the best choice is for my future.
- I really need a miracle!
What do I have to say or do to get God’s attention?
Jesus says, “Nothing!” and “When you pray, don’t babble like the [pagans], since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him… and all these things will be provided for you… because your Father delights to give you the kingdom” (Matt 6; Luke 12).
In other words, God’s not running away! So when we pray, we pray with confidence like dear children to their dear father:
Give us this day our daily bread
God knows what I need! And he’s delighted to give it to me! In fact, he’s already given me the one thing I need most: immortality!
And if I’ve been praying along with Jesus in this prayer, I’ve just finished thanking and praising God for this gift. On account of Jesus, God is now my Father too. His kingdom has come and is coming, and his will has been and is being done. My future resurrection and eternal life are guaranteed!
“But I still need that extra $5k, those bills are due next week, not after the resurrection!”
I feel that too.
And so does Jesus.
Which is why he gave us this prayer.
To give us permission to bring that feeling to God. Permission to ask for what we truly need, what we think we need, and even what we just want!
And to practice releasing it all to our good Father in faith, trusting that God knows what I most need, and is already giving it to me. That even when I don’t get everything I need in this temporal realm, everything I need is already mine in Christ.
As Peter says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4).
So, my sandwich is definitely not running away. And neither is Jesus. He’s running toward us, inexorably, and carrying with him all the joys of eternity!
Try this
Do this one at your next meal. Sit down with the food in front of you, but don’t start eating yet. Take one slow breath and rest your hands on the table, palms up. Say the words aloud if you can. If you feel nothing, it’s still prayer. He is here and glad you came, whether or not you feel it.
Bring what you need. Name the real thing: the bill, the diagnosis, the empty chair. Don’t tidy it up first.
Father, you know what I need before I ask.
Here it is: [name it].
Give me this day my daily bread.
Receive. Look at what’s in front of you. Thank him for it, specifically: the bread, the hands that made it, the farmer, the rain. Now eat the first three bites slowly, and set your fork or sandwich down between bites. Taste it. It’s not running away, and neither is he.
Provisions for the Road
Free course:
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Are your teen or adult children hard to talk to? Brandon and Liv, parents of five, walk you through why we get defensive and five simple fixes:
- Patience: play the long game instead of winning the conversation today.
- Friendship: build the connection that makes your kids willing to hear you.
- Slowing down: spot the moment you’re getting heated and pause before you say something you’ll regret.
- Attention: listen with real curiosity instead of waiting for your turn to talk.
- A “magic” question: one simple sentence that helps your kid feel understood, even when you disagree.
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Food for Thought
Things the team found interesting this week, no endorsement implied.
Beyond the Stairway to Heaven: The Longing to See a World Born
By Belle Tindall-Riley at Seen & Unseen
It’s only a couple of minutes long, with a Led Zeppelin soundtrack, but Belle Tindall-Riley reckons the new Narnia trailer taps into something very deep in us. Why do we ache for a world we’ve never seen, and what does that tell us about ourselves?
Table Fellowship
By Leonardo Boff at Plough
“A meal is more than just something material. It is the sacrament of reunion and communion.” Busy schedules and fast food have pushed the shared table to the edges of our lives. Leonardo Boff makes the case for gathering around it again.
The Book of Common Prayer Is Having a Moment
By Kate Lucky at Christianity Today
“I didn’t understand what was happening,” he recalled. “I was so depleted. … The liturgy works whether you have the energy for it or not. You can just enter into it as you need. … It was such a gift to me.” Kate Lucky on why a centuries-old book of prayers is finding new readers.
