December 23, 2019
FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:
PRAYER.
Jesus said: “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray. . . . that they may be seen by men. Assuredly I say to you, they have their reward.
But when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. But when you pray do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.
For they think that they will be heard for their many words.” Matt. 6: 5-7, NKJV.
Praying is opening your heart to the yet-invisible God as to a trusted friend. Jesus is the Friend of the friendless. To the true Christian, He is not the last resort when everything and everyone else fails but the First and Last recourse in whom our souls can safely repose. Prayer is the breath of the soul. To forget to pray is to forget to breathe.
To neglect to pray is to begin to drown. To stop praying is spiritual suicide. Pray without ceasing for yourself and for others. Use honest and simple words and language your are most comfortable and conversant with. Talk is cheap. Therefore praise and glorify God in deeds of righteousness towards your fellowmen, especially your own family and the household of faith. But especially pray for those who make you feel ill at ease, unsure, apprehensive and even like a thorn in the side.
Pray repeatedly for those who have actually wronged you as in trespass or even betrayed your trust and confidence. Remember this: Prayer does not change them as much as it changes you, lest you also become as guilty or even worse of the very things you experienced from them. Prayer changes the attitude of “we” versus “them” to “we are aboard the same ship navigating the wave-tossed, treacherous sea of life, albeit occupying different decks. And no has yet reached the yonder shore. True prayer does not bring God down to our level; He already did that in the incarnation.
Rather, prayer lifts us up to His sphere “in heavenly places.” If and when we are eternally saved at His second coming, we will then have to say “farewell, farewell sweet hour of prayer” for we shall finally “see Him face to face in all His glory” with no more veil of mortality in between and no more need for prayer! 1 John 3:1. NMF