In a world of catch phrases and repeated quotes, I have always come across T-shirt’s, mugs and other merchandise that said P.U.S.H. and the Push stood for “Pray Until Something Happens”. As a child, I knew what praying was, but the only issue that I can look back on was the simple fact that I had no intentionality when I prayed. It was just something I watched my Mother do, so I decided to follow her footsteps.
My Mom was a redeemed Christian woman who had overcome many bad habits she picked up in her teen years. She was very involved in church and taught me and my siblings the importance of prayer. It wasn’t until I was about 13 years old that I realized what the premise of this praying thing was. My mom’s friend who I’d become very connected to, passed away and this idea of someone dying really did me in. A trance of misunderstanding because at this point in my life I thought when we prayed God always granted our wishes. So If God answered prayers then why did he let Alberta die? This was exactly what I asked my mother and it was then that she gave the rundown on prayer. She told me that we can pray different type of prayers, a prayer of healing, a prayer of thankfulness, a prayer restoration etc, but she said that we should be mindful of “God’s will.”
As she explained these things to me, she told me that sometimes, “God’s Will isn’t our will” and that his will is always best. Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. What I learned from his passage of Scripture Is that God is in total control and make his decisions in our lives based on his plan and purpose for us!”
So when I pray now, I keep in mind that may God’s will be done whether it matches up with my will or not, it is all in THE FATHER’S hand.
Back to the idea of using P.U.S.H.
I think that praying until something happens is what God wants from us as believers. He wants us to give him all of our cares and worries and because he already knows our hearts. It allows us to become intimate with God and truly tell him what’s on our hearts not just what sounds good.
In religious gatherings, when someone prays among the masses it can be a bit stressful because we naturally want to be accepted by those around us. The prayers start becoming less about intimacy and more of an aim to say the perfect prayer. Some may say that it is great practice for worship services, but I lean more toward the idea that there isn’t just one way to pray. I think the prayers that touch the father’s heart are the ones that come from a place of non-judgmental time alone with God.
When I pray in that setting, I have no one to critique my prayers and truly believe that those are the prayers that we need to pray. That way, our heartfelt prayers influence over people is 100% genuine.
Prayer is very powerful and can be the biggest shield against the enemy and his schemes.
As I attended college, it wasn’t always easy, but I prayed throughout those four years and something happened, not on my time, but on his time, I graduated College.
A friend I know dealt with depression for several years and me and many friends and family prayed with the mentality that God was going to guide her thoughts into a brighter tomorrow. That was 10 years ago. We never stopped praying and I can say that she fully came out of that dark place and became a Christian. God is so good. We kept praying and something marvelous happened.
Lastly, I have been praying and asking God to restore relationships in my family. About two months ago I had the opportunity to meet my older Sister in Shreveport, Louisiana for the very first time. This had been something heavy on my heart, and God not only heard my prayer, but he knew my heart and made something happen.
I really think that God has been giving me interaction with the slogan P.U.S.H. for several years for a reason. It’s a reminder to push through life knowing that God will always step in, give his promise of hope and a prosperous future.
Singing Oaks and anyone else reading, I want to encourage you to P.U.S.H.!
God Bless