An Unplanned Conversation with the Lord

Note: This past week I taught on prayer in my Sunday School class.  I believe one of our greatest frustrations in prayer is wondering whether or not we are really reaching God's heart.  The following illustration of a conversation with God in prayer is a powerful reminder of what God wants and how we usually approach things. I don't know the original source or author, but it is a very stirring illustration.  

Take a couple minutes to read through this illustration, slow down enough to let it impact your heart, as it did mine.
 

 

Found on the internet, and sent to me by my mother….

THE LORDS PRAYER
Our Father Who Art In Heaven.
        YES?
Don't interrupt me. I'm praying.
         BUT -- YOU CALLED ME !!
Called you? No, I didn't call you. I'm praying.
Our Father who art in heaven.
         THERE -- YOU DID IT AGAIN
Did what?
         CALLED ME. YOU SAID, "OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN"
         WELL HERE I AM. WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?
But I didn't mean anything by it. I was, you know, just saying my prayers for the day. I always say the Lord's Prayer. It makes me feel good, kind of like
fulfilling a duty.
          WELL, ALL RIGHT. GO ON. Okay, Hallowed be Thy name...
          HOLD IT RIGHT THERE.
          WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? By what?
          BY "HALLOWED BE THY NAME"? It means, it means… good grief, I don't know what it means. How in the world should I know? It's just a part of the prayer. By the way, what does it mean?
           IT MEANS HONORED, HOLY, WONDERFUL. Hey, that makes sense. I never thought about what 'hallowed' meant before. Thanks. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
           DO YOU REALLY MEAN THAT? Sure, why not?
           WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT? Doing? Why, nothing, I guess. I just think it would be kind of neat if you got control of everything down here like you have up there. We're kinda in a mess down here you know.
           YES, I KNOW; BUT, HAVE I GOT CONTROL OF YOU? Well, I go to church..
           THAT ISN'T WHAT I ASKED YOU. WHAT ABOUT
           YOUR BAD TEMPER?
           YOU'VE REALLY GOT A PROBLEM THERE,
           YOU KNOW. AND THEN THERE'S THE WAY YOU
           SPEND YOUR MONEY --ALL ON YOURSELF.
           AND WHAT ABOUT
           THE KIND OF BOOKS YOU READ? Now hold on just a minute! Stop picking on me! I'm just as good as some of the rest of those people at church!  
            EXCUSE ME. I THOUGHT YOU WERE PRAYING FOR MY WILL TO  

           BE DONE.
           IF THAT IS TO HAPPEN, IT WILL HAVE TO START WITH THE ONES   

           WHO ARE PRAYING FOR IT. LIKE YOU -- FOR EXAMPLE. Oh, all right. I guess I do have some hang-ups. Now that you mention it, I could probably name some others.
           SO COULD I. I haven't thought about it very much until now, but I really would like to cut out some of those things. I would like to, you know, be really free.
          GOOD. NOW WE'RE GETTING SOMEWHERE. WE'LL WORK

          TOGETHER -- YOU AND ME. I'M PROUD OF YOU. Look, Lord, if you don't mind, I need to finish up here. This is taking a lot longer than it usually does. Give us this day, our daily bread.
          YOU NEED TO CUT OUT THE BREAD.
          YOU'RE OVERWEIGHT AS IT IS.
Hey, wait a minute! What is this? Here I was doing my religious duty, and all of a sudden you break in and remind me of all my hang-ups.
           PRAYING IS A DANGEROUS THING. YOU JUST MIGHT GET WHAT

           YOU ASK FOR.
            REMEMBER, YOU CALLED ME -- AND HERE I AM.
            IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW. KEEP PRAYING. ..pause...
           WELL, GO ON. I'm scared to.
            SCARED? OF WHAT?
I know what you'll say.
            TRY ME. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
            WHAT ABOUT CAROL? See? I knew it! I knew you would bring her up!
Why, Lord, she's told lies about me, spread stories.
She never paid back the money she owes me.
I've sworn to get even with her!
            BUT -- YOUR PRAYER -- WHAT ABOUT YOUR PRAYER? I didn't -- mean it.
            WELL, AT LEAST YOU'RE HONEST.
            BUT, IT'S QUITE A LOAD CARRYING AROUND ALL THAT

            BITTERNESS AND
            RESENTMENT ISN'T IT? Yes, but I'll feel better as soon as I get even with her.
Boy, have I got some plans for her. She'll wish she had never been born.
           NO, YOU WON'T FEEL ANY BETTER. YOU'LL FEEL
           WORSE. REVENGE ISN'T SWEET.
           YOU KNOW HOW UNHAPPY YOU ARE –

           WELL, I CAN CHANGE THAT. You can? How?
            FORGIVE CAROL. THEN, I'LL FORGIVE YOU;

            AND THE HATE AND SIN WILL BE CAROL'S PROBLEM –

            NOT YOURS.
            YOU WILL HAVE SETTLED THE PROBLEM AS FAR AS YOU ARE

            CONCERNED. Oh, you know, you're right. You always are.
And more than I want revenge, I want to be right with You..., (sigh).
All right...all right...I forgive her.
            THERE NOW! WONDERFUL! HOW DO YOU FEEL? Hmmmm. Well, not bad.. Not bad at all! In fact,
I feel pretty great! You know, I don't think I'll Go to bed uptight tonight.
I haven't been getting much rest,  you know.
             YEAH, I KNOW. BUT, YOU'RE NOT THROUGH WITH YOUR

             PRAYER ARE YOU? GO ON. Oh, all right.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
             GOOD! GOOD! I'LL DO THAT. JUST DON'T PUT
             YOURSELF IN A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN BE TEMPTED. What do you mean by that?
             YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.. Yeah. I know.
             OKAY. GO AHEAD. FINISH YOUR PRAYER.
For Thine is the kingdom,  and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
             DO YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BRING ME GLORY -- 
             WHAT WOULD REALLY MAKE ME HAPPY? No, but I'd like to know. I want to please you now.
I've really made a mess of things. I want to truly follow you. I can see now
how great that would be. So, tell me. how do I make you happy?
             YOU JUST DID
HAVE YOU HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH GOD LATELY ???