Never let your feelings sit in judgment over your faith.

Dr. Tony Evans

We make prayer far too difficult.

Mary showed us how easy it actually is, “Jesus, they have no more wine.” Then in a low whisper, she turns to the disciples with a wink and a nod and says, “Do whatever he tells you.”

That was it. Not so hard is it?

Here is what is happening: There was a wedding, the host was running out of wine and Jesus’ mother felt bad for them. No one knew what to do.

• There was no party store nearby.
• New wine takes years to produce.
• They needed the wine ‘post haste.’

All options were exhausted, either Jesus had to do something or Mary would be embarrassed for the whole wedding party. And it is never a good thing to have a bad reception.

So what does Jesus do? He makes wine from water. 

Of course, wine from water! They all should have seen that as a very real answer…NOT! Jesus is able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” I guarantee you, Mary and the disciples never imagined wine from water as a possible answer.

What can you ask for? What can you imagine? Jesus can do more!

There is a book on prayer that has set me free when it comes to prayer, “Prayer” by Ole Hallesby. It is not intended to make you a ‘prayer warrior’, whatever that means, it is meant to tell you the truth about yourself and the God who can make wine from water. One writer expresses the main idea of the book perfectly:

“Hallesby is quite different, immediately acknowledging the depth of our plight and treating the whole subject of prayer with refreshing honesty. Hallesby deals at some length with our helplessness and faith, arguing that prayer consists largely of two things: the recognition on our part of our utter helplessness, and the belief that Christ is the only one who can do something about it. We must recognize, because we are creatures, and sinful ones at that, that we are helpless. That alone, however, would lead to despair. The realization of our helplessness must be coupled with faith, belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as the only one who can do us, poor sinners, any good.  In one sense, Hallesby says time and again, prayer is simply letting in Christ who is knocking at the door of our heart. God both initiates prayer and is its answer.”

We are utterly helpless. If you don’t believe me, can you make wine from water? Only Jesus can. As Hallesby insists, prayer is simply telling Jesus you have a problem you can’t fix and letting him have at it.

But take this a step farther: What if we could make our own wine out of water? WE WOULDN’T NEED JESUS. Don’t you see, Jesus puts the impossible in front of us so we would wake up and reach out to him. Those who pray are the ones who understand: God intentionally lets the wine run out so we will ask him to show up.

How many of you reading this think you can do everything on your own? You can figure it out! You have the plan! You are the expert! So then, why do we need God?

Right now in our church, we have run out of wine, in a major way. And those who are so used to relying on themselves are besides themselves, “Oh no, what do we do? No one is stepping up. Where are the answers?” 

In my humble opinion, I think God purposely let the wine run out.

So now, the ball is in your court. Will you act like Mary and trust Jesus to figure this major conundrum out, or will you push, pull, argue, fight, figure, scheme, blame, pressure and panic?

Oh yeah, one more thing:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! “