Scripture: Hosea 6:6 Series: 2022
A brief Lenten reflection arguing that God desires mercy, not sacrifice (Hosea 6:6) — the offering God wants is our hearts and minds, expressed most clearly in prayer. Drawing on Tertullian, the sermon frames prayer as the true offering, an act of faith that cannot be justified apart from God and stakes everything on the resurrection: if Jesus rose, prayer is the greatest privilege. It closes by insisting God desires not fancy words or robes but us.
Illustrations: tertullian-prayer-offering
Fragments
God says, I want mercy not sacrifice. The offering to God for us is not a lamb or a turtledove. It is our hearts and our minds, most clearly understood in prayer
“Prayer is an offering that belongs to God and is acceptable to him: it is the offering he has asked for, the offering he planned as his own. We must dedicate this offering with our whole heart, we must fatten it on faith, tend it by truth, keep it unblemished through innocence and clean through chastity, and crown it with love.”1
Prayer is an act of faith. We do not see it. We cannot hold it. When we pray, we believe beyond ourselves. Prayer can’t be justified apart from God. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, prayer is a total waste of time. But if he did, if Jesus did die for us and offer us life, prayer is the greatest honor and privilege in the world. We can overcomplexify it or denigrate ourselves when we feel inadequate, but God doesn’t desires fancy words or flowing robes. God desires us. God desires you.
Footnotes
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Tertulian ↩