We all need to be plugged in…but into what?

The other day I was trying to straighten out all the cords that are attached to my computers, TVs, keyboards; anything electric or electronic. Many of them were tangled up and it took a bit of time to trace them all the way from the electrical outlet to the device for which they were intended. During this process I actually discovered one long extension cord that was not actually connected to anything but itself. I followed it all the way around only to find that the three pronged plug was attached to the three-pronged receptacle of the same cord. I laughed because I thought to myself, “why would I have ever plugged an electrical cord into itself”. It would serve no purpose since it wouldn’t actually conduct any electricity or provide any power to anything.

I was thinking about how this could relate to faith and Christianity and I realized that sometimes I do this type of thing when I pray to God. I give Thanks, request help, ask for forgiveness, pray for healing and restoration, etc.. These are good things to pray about but I do it somewhat haphazardly, often failing to truly believe that the words I’m saying are really reaching God’s ears. Instead of being plugged into God, I’m plugged into my own thoughts, desires, and abilities. I’m not really trusting in God to help me with anything but rather, trying to psych myself up and make these things happen completely by my own (non-existent) power. Doing this usually doesn’t get me very far.

A couple of great scriptures which may assist in solving this dilemma:

John 15:5: Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing”.

Romans 8:34: “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”

These verses seem to indicate that when we pray and are truly plugged into God, Jesus (God the Son) intercedes for us with God (God the Father). From there we just need to trust that God is working “all things together for our good” (paraphrased from Romans 8:28).

One last thought on this. I have had good friends who pray faithfully for themselves and for others; they aren’t praying to God, surprisingly, but rather to the psychic energy of humanity or to the magnificence of the universe. This isn’t to say that their prayers are not appreciated by other people or that these things (psychic energy and the universe) are not wonders in their own right. But psychic energy, for whatever power it may claim to have, comes from imperfect people, not from infallible God, Even the universe is something that was created by God, but is not, itself, God. The universe exists only within the confines of time and space. God exists outside of any such constraints, including time and space.

So, in review, plugging a cord into itself (i.e., praying to oneself, to other people, or to the universe) instead of plugging it into an electrical outlet (i.e., praying to God who is the source of the real power) produces no real benefit and effects no real change. It only leaves everyone feeling good because they did something!…at least.