Good "Impression"

Claude Monet's (Impression, soleil levant; Impression, Sun rise)

I'm not a art person, but this picture had a good impression on my mind. I was fascinated to learn that one of the characteristics of art from the Impressionist era is that the painting is made so that the viewer sees the painting "moving" in the viewer's mind/perception. The brush strokes are intentionally done in this way so that can be viewed that way.

When I look at this picture, the water and the sky perceives to be moving by the cleverness of the painter's strokes. We know that the painting doesn't move, but in a person's mind, we can imagine the water and the sky moving when we see the picture carefully.

I believe that sometimes this is how it is in our prayer life. Sometimes we view God and prayer as something rigid and boring. Many times we don't pray because we feel that since God is "unchangeable," our prayers will not "move" him to change anyway. But many times we forget that God is not rigid, but he's always moving in our history and in our life especially, but we often time forget. Our imagination or "impression" of who God is distorted. We limit God by not praying. We feel that prayer doesn't do anything for us, so we cease to pray. But just like prayer moves our hearts, the Bible clearly tells us that it moves God's heart as well. If it doesn't, why would we pray in the first place? Abraham moved God's heart, and he "changed" or delayed his plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of his servant. I believe that this should be our prayers.

That we would find favor with Him so much that he would "change" his heart so that our hearts would change more and more. More in his direction, to his likeness.