#96. Using God’s favorite word.
Mar 31st by JonFor centuries, we Christians have secretly used God’s favorite word in all our prayers. To even mention it, I embrace great danger and peril and risk and other words that mean bad things could happen to me. This word, above all others ensures that God will hear your prayers and answer them quickly and awesomely. To put this powerful word in the hands of non-believers could mean that I am banished to the balcony at church and everyone knows that the holy spirit only touches people on the ground floor during service. But I must share. I am of course speaking of the word “just.” Here is how we use it in prayers:
“Lord, just hear us tonight. We just lift up our hands to you and pray that you will just send you love down to us in ways we just can’t understand. Take us just as we are Lord. Just, just. Just, just.”
I added those four for emphasis but it’s not far off from the truth. I’m not sure why we do but I should probably apologize. Next time someone prays you’re going to have highly refined “just radar” and will probably be thinking in your head, “I hate that site stuff christians like.”
(I just want to thank all the people that suggested this word just. There are just too many to thank individually.)
Comments
Wow, I never actually considered that, Jon. Nor heard of it. Hm. I'll have to listen a little harder next time someone prays aloud, though my hearing is sucktacular. Of course, every disability, if you'd call it that, has its set of advantages. ~_^
"Just" seems to be used primarily in requests from God. Think about how you use it when asking for something: I JUST need to borrow a dollar, Mom.
If you were to replace "just" with "simply," you'd be, in effect, saying, "God, look, I know you're busy, but I simply need a job. It's not that big of a deal to you, right?"
When I hear the word "just" used in prayerful entreaty it is clear that it is coming from one of the more sensationalist sects who are trying to appear "genuine". It is also overused by the Jimmy Swaggarts and Jimmy "wannabes" of the world to incite the faithful to adopt this rather arcane manner of addressing the Lord. As one commenter already said, it's a placeholder like "um" and other devices.
My sister & I used to count the number of "justs" in a prayer. Sometimes we would try to predict the number in a sermon and prayer. OK – we still do it. We are both in our 40's.
I was once on a prayer ministry team (imagine that!) and we had a special meeting about prayer.
The issue of the word 'just' actually was brought to our attention. They told us to be careful of repeatedly using this word in prayers and the reason they gave us was that the word 'just' discredits God's power. They said it was like asking God to do a limited amount of things, instead of asking him to abudantly bless his….'Just' do this one thing!
Try and pray without using the word 'just' – its actually quite difficult!!! haha…
hahaha my just radar.. i am seriously going to hate this site now