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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
"Pray Like You Mean It"
April 3, 2008
Don't ever take the power of prayer for granted. Prayer is the prime
ingredient in making a miracle happen. I was sitting in the pew of the
Niantic Baptist Church last Sunday afternoon when this powerful truth hit
home. Ed Bosse, a member of the church, was singing the old spiritual,
"Somebody's Praying". He sang it in response to the fact that the church
was celebrating the installation of their new pastor, the Rev. Jill Harvey,
after a long and difficult search. Yet I suddenly had the image of a
frightened little boy walking up the steps of a country church in Lebanon,
Connecticut close to forty years ago.
That boy was an emotional wreck. His mom had deserted the family and
his dad was working long hours to make ends meet. He was being shuffled
between family, friends and neighbors and was often called upon to care
for his little brother and help with chores around the house. At ten years
old he was asked to be a man and it was only by the grace of God that he
got through. I think about those days every now and then. When I heard
Ed sing that song, it dawned on me that it was only because somebody
was praying that I survived and found a welcome in that little church.
My aunt Connie was a praying woman. She was the one who brought me
to church as a young boy. I believe to this day that it was her fervent
prayer that saw me safely though my adolescent years. Several years ago I
heard a preacher tell the story of his own childhood. He grew up in a
street gang in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. He told how he was
heading in the wrong direction but something he couldn't see kept calling
him back. He gave credit to his "Nana" who was always praying for him
and the other boys in the neighborhood. Nana always reminded him that he
belonged to Jesus and was precious in his eyes.
The truth is that too many of us don't put enough stock in prayer. We pray
but we do it without conviction. It has become a chore like taking out the
trash or washing the dishes. It is something we do because it is supposed
to be done not because we truly believe it will affect the outcome of
anything.
Maybe we need to look at the Scriptures again. The Bible says that the
prayer of a righteous man (woman) is powerful and effective. In that same
passage James reminds us that "Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed
earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and
a half years."
The other night I watched the movie "Bruce Almighty" on television.
Despite a few irreverent scenes, the movie does a good job of answering
the question of how God answers prayer. At one point God (Morgan
Freeman) says to Bruce (Jim Carey) "Miracles happen every day." He goes
on to name a number of things, small triumphs over great odds that are
often overlooked. Then he said "Most people like to sit back and wait for
something to happen. But a miracle happens every time someone looks at
another person and does something to fill a need. People like you are the
real answer to prayer."
In that context my aunt Connie not only prayed for me but she was the
answer to prayer. Her love and investment in my life made a difference. So
who are you praying for? What are you doing to make a difference in their
lives. God has given you and me a tremendous gift in that we can be a
blessing to someone in need. When we pray we unleash the power of God
to work a miracle, even if it begins with our own attitudes. So let's pray to
end world hunger and then volunteer at a soup kitchen or sign up for a
CROP Walk. Let's pray for the children in our at risk communities and
then volunteer to be a mentor or classroom aid. Let's pray for a person
with a terminal illness and then stop in to visit them regularly to remind
them they are loved. Let's unwrap the gift of prayer and use it every
chance we get. In doing so we will find that the blessings will return to us
in more ways than we can imagine.
God bless! See you in church. Cal
April 3, 2008
Don't ever take the power of prayer for granted. Prayer is the prime
ingredient in making a miracle happen. I was sitting in the pew of the
Niantic Baptist Church last Sunday afternoon when this powerful truth hit
home. Ed Bosse, a member of the church, was singing the old spiritual,
"Somebody's Praying". He sang it in response to the fact that the church
was celebrating the installation of their new pastor, the Rev. Jill Harvey,
after a long and difficult search. Yet I suddenly had the image of a
frightened little boy walking up the steps of a country church in Lebanon,
Connecticut close to forty years ago.
That boy was an emotional wreck. His mom had deserted the family and
his dad was working long hours to make ends meet. He was being shuffled
between family, friends and neighbors and was often called upon to care
for his little brother and help with chores around the house. At ten years
old he was asked to be a man and it was only by the grace of God that he
got through. I think about those days every now and then. When I heard
Ed sing that song, it dawned on me that it was only because somebody
was praying that I survived and found a welcome in that little church.
My aunt Connie was a praying woman. She was the one who brought me
to church as a young boy. I believe to this day that it was her fervent
prayer that saw me safely though my adolescent years. Several years ago I
heard a preacher tell the story of his own childhood. He grew up in a
street gang in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. He told how he was
heading in the wrong direction but something he couldn't see kept calling
him back. He gave credit to his "Nana" who was always praying for him
and the other boys in the neighborhood. Nana always reminded him that he
belonged to Jesus and was precious in his eyes.
The truth is that too many of us don't put enough stock in prayer. We pray
but we do it without conviction. It has become a chore like taking out the
trash or washing the dishes. It is something we do because it is supposed
to be done not because we truly believe it will affect the outcome of
anything.
Maybe we need to look at the Scriptures again. The Bible says that the
prayer of a righteous man (woman) is powerful and effective. In that same
passage James reminds us that "Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed
earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and
a half years."
The other night I watched the movie "Bruce Almighty" on television.
Despite a few irreverent scenes, the movie does a good job of answering
the question of how God answers prayer. At one point God (Morgan
Freeman) says to Bruce (Jim Carey) "Miracles happen every day." He goes
on to name a number of things, small triumphs over great odds that are
often overlooked. Then he said "Most people like to sit back and wait for
something to happen. But a miracle happens every time someone looks at
another person and does something to fill a need. People like you are the
real answer to prayer."
In that context my aunt Connie not only prayed for me but she was the
answer to prayer. Her love and investment in my life made a difference. So
who are you praying for? What are you doing to make a difference in their
lives. God has given you and me a tremendous gift in that we can be a
blessing to someone in need. When we pray we unleash the power of God
to work a miracle, even if it begins with our own attitudes. So let's pray to
end world hunger and then volunteer at a soup kitchen or sign up for a
CROP Walk. Let's pray for the children in our at risk communities and
then volunteer to be a mentor or classroom aid. Let's pray for a person
with a terminal illness and then stop in to visit them regularly to remind
them they are loved. Let's unwrap the gift of prayer and use it every
chance we get. In doing so we will find that the blessings will return to us
in more ways than we can imagine.
God bless! See you in church. Cal
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
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