In Philip Yancey’s book “Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference” there is a thought found on page 106 that goes like this…
A rabbi taught that experiences of God can never be planned or acheived. “They are spontaneous moments of grace. Almost accidental.” His student asked, “Rabbi, if God-realization is just accidental, why do we work so hard doing all these spiritual practices?” The rabbi replied, “To be as accident prone as possible.”
I don’t believe anything happens by accident nor are there grand cosmic coincidences. I’m one who believes that there is a plan at work in the world and that plan is carried out by The Sovereign God. I will admit readily that there are events that seem accidental to humans at times, but we don’t have the honor of seeing things from God’s perspective. Therefore I suggest that there are unusual, unexpected, and surprise answers we receive when we pray.
“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is part of the model prayer. That phrase is all encompassing, far reaching, and completely universal. When we pray that phrase it is usually something we tag on the end of our prayer time… but in heaven it is taken seriously. In fact, the request of that phrase is the main focus of what the Spirit prays for believers as found in Romans 8:27, “…The Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
Has the course of your life followed what you would expected? Have events taken place you never could have imagined that resulted in blessings you could not have forseen… asked God for… or made happen yourself? There’s a good chance you viewed them as accidents but in reality just might be answers to the prayers other Christians… and the Holy Spirit… has lifted up to God on your behalf!
I’d like to suggest the things you think were “accidents” were in reality “God-incidents.”
Here are a few thoughts: Let’s try to become more aware of God’s response to our “Thy will be done” prayer requests. Let’s make ourselves as accident prone, AND accident aware, as we possibly can. Let’s view every “chance encounter” and “cosmic coincidence” as moments ordained by God for His glory and our benefit.
That means the person who interrupts you today could be an accident planned in heaven. The chance encounter you have with someone could be an accident God caused. The event you didn’t plan for might be a moment that later you see as life defining.
Don’t just sail through life blissfully unaware of the burning bushes God places along your path!