In looking at this question I cannot come up with definite “yes” or “no” to either proposition. What I can do is attempt to REFLECT on the question and come up with some thoughts that emerge.
As I go about my daily life I include large chunks of prayer in my routine. Part of this prayer routine involves maintaining a prayer diary.
It goes as follows:-
Before commencing Evening Prayer I have a number of spiritual exercises that I try to complete before moving on to the formal devotions.
This ‘exercise’ involves using an A4 diary (one page per day) and going through the following reflections.
• Giving thanks.
I call to mind all of the things I have to be thankful for (people and situations).
• Prayer for.
This includes a range people and situations
• Forgiveness.
Those I need to forgive and anything I need forgiveness for.
• Commend.
This involves reflecting ahead to the night and the day to follow this one.
In all of these processes I am trying to ‘line myself up with God’ so, in everything I do I am trying to discern God’s will for me in the situations I know about as well as the one’s I don’t yet know about.
One of the tasks of a Christian is to learn to see the world ‘as Jesus would see it’; to deal with each person and situation as Jesus would do so.
So, by keeping God in my awareness, I am opening myself up to whatever comes my way that I may respond to it not only in a human way but also in a God-like way.
When I reflect on my day during this exercise I don’t (necessarily) feel that every encounter or happening was ‘engineered by God’ but, there are many times when I have to wonder if something (or some one) entered my life because I had opened myself up to what God wanted me to do.
Rev.d Greg Clarke.
