"Jesus, take the wheel"

I like simple prayers. This is probably because I have a very short attention span. I have been known to knod off while others are speaking, and while I have been in the middle of praying! I confess. It is true. I don’t claim to be a "prayer" warrior, or for that matter a warrior of any kind.

I really enjoyed it when John Wimber would say that in a tricky situation he would recite his favorite prayer, "O God, O God, O God…"

One of my favorite prayers lately has been, "Jesus, take the wheel." Now you may think that this is trite, praying a catch phrase from a popular country song, but please withhold judgment. You see, I have a problem with wanting to drive, just ask my wife! I feel fine when I am behind the wheel. I don’t feel quite so fine when anyone else is driving too fast, or talking too much, or fiddling with the radio too much when they are driving. You see, I enjoy the illusion of control. Don’t we all?

Some of us have a stronger illusion of control than others, and some of us feel the need for that feeling more than others. Which is what I am praying about when I say "Jesus take the wheel." I am saying, "God, the situation is out of control, I don’t know which way to turn, which road to follow, whether to go forward or turn around." It’s at times like that, frequently actually, that I utter the prayer, "Jesus take the wheel."

Now, I don’t know if this qualifies as a James 5 quality prayer, not sure if it will be either "effectual" or "avail much." Certainly it won’t as a result of my "righteousness." I can say that it is Hosea 7, "heartfelt." (The Message) And certainly since the Father knows what I am intending, (Matthew 6) it should be okay for now. 🙂