Access to the Father
ANDY HATFIELD
One of the most memorable lessons I ever received on prayer came from my pastor’s wife several years ago. She told me about how they had started baking and selling cakes to support themselves at a time when there wasn’t enough support at the church. He baked the cakes, and she frosted them. She wanted to learn how to pipe a rose. A friend told her, “Come on by, I’ll show you how to do it,” but with four kids, she never had time. She prayed, “Lord, show me how to make a rose,” and she learned to make a rose.
In my young 20s at the time, I was blown away hearing this. I had no idea you could pray about something so simple and that God would teach you how to make a rose. I mean, I knew you could pray at a football game, but THIS?!? This was clearly new territory. So, the faith of one person was handed to another, and when I would run into trouble with doing something simple, I started praying about it. Often, I felt like an idea came easier, the answer came to me when it had not before, or I finally found my car keys.
“Ok, wait up,” I’m sure you’re saying. “Everyone knows you can pray about stuff and get an answer.”
Well, I didn’t. At least not like that. It was totally new territory for me. Besides, this wasn’t someone on TV, it was someone right in front of me whom I trusted.
In the devotional Jesus Calling, Sarah Young writes in God’s voice, “Though I am King of the universe, I am totally accessible to you. I am with you wherever you are.” It leads me to this idea of “access to God.” This, like my ignorance to being able to pray about the simplest thing, seems simple, but is completely revolutionary.
In the book of Esther, Mordecai warns Queen Esther of a plot to kill the Jews. Esther, standing in two places — one as a queen (apparently one of many) with protocol to follow, and another as a Jew wanting to stand up for her people, risks her life to stand before the king and speak for the lives of her people. (It’s an amazing book, by the way.)
In the Christian tradition, Jesus, the Messiah, given by God and of his own will as the sacrifice for all mankind, stands in place between us and the Father. The book of Hebrews calls him the “High Priest of our confession.” Just a word, and we can speak with the King. Just a simple prayer, no rank, no status, all are equal in the sight of God, and by Him, we have access.
“Ok,” you’re asking, “so all that so I can find my car keys or a better parking spot at Target? That seems a little lame.”
Well, it’s hard to disagree with that. Maybe I can say this: Maybe the practice of praying for the simple things as well as the complex things builds a pattern, a trust in God over time so that as we face tougher situations, we’ve seen some answers to prayer, and feel more confident in those situations. Paul wrote, “Rejoice always, and pray constantly.”
Andy Hatfield has lived in Peoria for most of his life and attends Imago Dei with his wife, Lisa. He teaches music, and loves to cook.