mercedes benz

this thought's been in my list of funny things to think about for a while, it's to do with prayer (haha, again!)

so there's an advert that goes a little something like this -



it got me thinking about motives, and prayer as an aid to revealing your own heart attitude (which this prayer does in droves!)

so on with the joke scrutiny..

O Lord, won't you buy me a mercedes Benz

My friends all drive Porsches
if you buy me a mercedes benz, you can justify in me all this jealousy and envy that i'm having

I must make amends
really, only this life matters, so as long as you give me the appearance of looking sorted in this life, and aid me in making an idol of it, i'll consider my prayer answered

I've worked hard all my lifetime
my finest efforts are filthy rags, but it's all ive got to brag about because i don't want to acknowledge the sinfulness of my sin. pfff, mercy. why would anyone need mercy on me to give me blessing?

With no help from my friends
i live life self-sufficiently, i don't actually need anything from anyone. heck, why am i praying to you for? you're cramping my independent style.

So Lord, won't you buy me, a Mercedes Benz



So I guess, the prayer draws a lot from the basis of that the person who prays it deserves what they're asking for. In reality no-one can come before the throne of God knowing that they deserve anything. It's allllll mercy. There's bartering to be had in prayer sometimes, like with Abraham, when he tested God's mercy to see if he was willing to spare the smallest amount of people from Sodom's destruction - but that in part was to do with God sharpening Abraham's faith, in being adventurous as to what he can expect God to do. it was necessary for God to bring Abraham into a position where he could find out just how much can he dare to trust God - and the request being answered gave glory to God, in broadcasting to the world his willingness to save mere individuals.

On the other hand, the mercedes benz prayer just gives the not-so-desired effect of making the person look ugly, and if it were answered, the person is now given even more provision for sin. much like in the way the law highlights aspects of sin in our lives (as sean was preaching on only a couple of weeks ago), so do our words, even our words to God.

Whats very interesting, is that the actual request, aside from all the motivations and reasons for it, isn't inherently an evil one.
O Lord, won't you buy me a mercedes Benz
still has the capacity to be a prayer that God is willing to answer, given some circumstances (in theory. blowed if i can think of a practical example of a mercedes benz appearing on my doorstep as a means to give glory to god!).

so one starving man might pray for provision, and why wouldn't they? god wishes to lift up those who are unable to lift themselves up. another man, disillusioned with a materialistic society might pray for blight and suffering to allow the more priveliged to undergo trials, that their faith may be refined or some cases newly discovered. so, the things that each ask for, though counter to each other, have situations and backdrops for why it would be in God's heart to answer both.

so, theres a place for a mercedes benz for someone out there. not me though, i can't drive for starters!