Good Friday: Bloody-minded Faith

As I enter this time of prayer, I repeat the words of Psalm 19:14, slowly, several times, making them my prayer to God:

‘May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.’

Pause and repeat

Pause and read the passage Dan. 3:16–18

‘The paradox of faith is encapsulated in this rousing speech. [Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego] believe unequivocally that God can save them, and that He will save them. But then they add “even if he does not … we will not serve your gods.” These men have complete faith for a miracle but they also have a sort of bloody- minded defiance should the miracle not happen’*

If I could look into the future and see that my most desperate prayers are not going to be answered, how might it affect the choices I am making now?

Pause and reflect

Mostly, I do believe that You are able to save me, Lord. I do have faith. But give me faithfulness too, to keep trusting and worshipping defiantly even if my prayers go unanswered.

Pause and pray

As I bring this time with God to a close, I pray a prayer of surrender by Richard Foster:

‘Today, O Lord, I yield myself to You. May Your will be my delight today. May You have perfect sway in me. May Your love be the pattern of my living. I surrender to You my hopes, my dreams, my ambitions. Do with them what You will, when You will, as You will. I place into Your loving care my family, my friends, my future. Care for them with a care that I can never give. I release into Your hands my need to control, my craving for status, my fear of obscurity. Eradicate the evil, purify the good, and establish Your kingdom on earth. For Jesus’ sake, Amen’.

*Pete Greig, God on Mute, David C Cook, (Colorado Springs, 2020), p137