Weary with what seemed like a prayer time during which I failed to reach God in any way, I rose from the altar and said, “Lord, again, I tried and tried but I couldn’t seem to pray at all.” Wow! God heard that statement. And I walked away with a enlarged understanding of prayer. Prayer is talking to God.
There most certainly are times of burdened prayer such as Jesus expressed at Gethsemane, when our hearts are full of sorrow and concern for some need. Sometimes we cannot even put words to those prayers. They are groaning of the heart and soul.
But it is April first. I want to talk about fun times when we talk to God. Do you ever tell him jokes? I do sometimes. The epitaph, I Told You I Was Sick, is an example of a joke I enjoyed with God. When you weary and need some fun, go online and read epitaphs. Find some that hit your funny bone and tell them to God.
If you’re feeling grumpy, everything is like looking through dirty windows, try out something like this. Confess your miseries. Tell God you have been to listening to too much negative stuff. Try out this line. “I hear it from the horse’s mouth, but I forget he is a neigh-sayer.” Oh, yes, puns are wonderful. Sometimes show him that funny pun that is in the form of a picture like the “Frayed Knot” above.
Another type joke you can enjoy with God, is some people blunders, often children. Like my son once told me he had learned a “greasy” verse in Sun. School. After great effort by the teacher, he had learned Isaiah 53:3 “He was despised and rejected of man, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with GREASE…”
You and God would probably enjoy this story form of joke. From alpha-jokes https://alphausa.org/alpha-jokes
The teacher asked, “If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into Heaven?” he asked the children.
“NO!” the children all answered.
“If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?” Again, the answer was “No.”
Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, and loved my wife, would that get me into Heaven?” “No,” they shouted.
“Well,” I continued, “then how can I get into Heaven?” he asked.
A five-year-old boy shouted out, “YOU GOTTA BE DEAD!!!”
I am from a generation that did not take much offence at what are jokes regarding groups of people. Wasn’t there a time when there were lots of Little Idiot jokes? Now there are blonde jokes by the dozens. My people did not take offense. We were (and still are) hit by “Holy Roller” or “Church Secretary” jokes. I think they are funny. My granddad loved Pat and Mike jokes (I guess Irish which we are, partly anyway). “Pat and Mike were walking through the woods. Pat was in front when he was suddenly whacked in the back of his head by a tree limb. Mike felt very sorry for Pat, he said, “Just imagine what that thing would have done if I hadn’t been holding it.”
Not much need for me to tell you what kind of joke NOT to tell God. He will let you know.
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Sweet aroma 
That reminds me that of the twelve Apostles, at least one must have had a license and a large car. They were all in one Accord.
I think the 120 in the upper room were also in the same vehicle. Must have been a triple decker back then. 😀
All too often, we ‘humans’ get into the ‘poor me’ rut. When that happens, it sometimes helps to have a little bit of levity. It somewhat eases the discomfort we are feeling if we can find something to laugh about. God is able to laugh with us sometimes, and He certainly knows we need to laugh — because, as our Mediator with Him, Jesus tells him so. That is why he came to earth. So, he could understand our difficulties with the Christian life when we go to Him in prayer. I Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.”
The apostle, Paul, tells us in Philippians 4:11-13, “. . . for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. (12)I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. (13) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
This says God understands, because Jesus understands and Mediates for us. When we need to laugh, it is ok to find something funny that will make us laugh. God Bless, Oneta!
One does have to be a bit careful to balance humor, respect, and worship to our Lord. Fortunately he knows us, and it doesn’t bug him to see us wobble a little once in a while when we try to know him better in all his wonderful ways.
Thank you Oneta and thank God that He gave you such a great sense of humour to be able to express and write it for the rest of us to enjoy. We do take ourselves too seriously at times God has a sense of humour,( I often remember that when I comprehend how fearfully and wonderfully we are made), Blessings and appreciation.
Thanks, dear Faye. I’m so thankful God gave me a supporter like you have been. You always encourage me to try out new ways to get the message across that we serve an awesome wonderful God.
I’ve never thought of telling jokes to God, I mean I’m funny and tell jokes all the time, but do you think tell jokes to God will strengthen my relationship with Him? I’d like to know.
I do think it is important to share everything with God. You likely see the importance of telling God of your sorrows when you pass a slum area of a town and breath a prayer for the hurting people who live there. Have the same fellowship when you pass homes of the elite, and tell God with a thankful heart that it is nice those people make all that money and many do good things with it. When you watch a child at play, bring God’s attention to the way it stumbles and gets up and going again. Keep an awareness that God is always with you. I think this is what Paul meant when he told us pray always. Yes, I think it is fun to tell jokes to God. He is the one who gave man a sense of humor along with his other senses. But I don’t think He would enjoy most of the stuff we see labeled as humorous. I believe he uses a sense of humor in many of his successful ministers. Describe a giraffe to the Lord, and ask him how he ever designed such an animal. See how much fun that could be. 😀 Thanks for making me delve deeper into this subject.
Oh, I agree! I’ve never thought of it that way! We often forget that Jesus was human just like us at a stage of time. He might of grown up in a new time zone than us and enjoyed other things things then us, but funny is funny! 🙂
Yes. I think too many never think of talking to him in any way except in need or in praise. Both important. Whatever our situation we are to remain humble and respectful.
My dad brought us up with jokes. He also brought us up to not be offended and to be able to laugh at ourselves. Life is so much better that way!
Love the jokes Oneta. I have a pastor friend that knows more jokes than anyone I know. I am going to have to send these his way!
Thank you, Faye. Pastors are good with jokes. Hope things are good with the chickens. No bird flu for them or you. 😀
So far so good!