“This, then, is how you should pray” Matthew 6:9
Let’s talk about prayer on this first Saturday in October. When I was a child, it didn’t seem like anybody was listening to my prayer and today I know that God answers prayer in His way and in His time. Often His answers are ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘wait’ and it seems much easier to hear the first two answers but the ‘wait’ is still hard to do. So, why is prayer so important? Now into my senior years, I can tell you that there are four short reasons why prayer is important to me. First, quite often my Heavenly Father does make me wait. If there is a difficult problem facing me there is a time of prayer and a time of waiting. Prayer forces me to leave the situation with God; it makes me wait and has taught me patience.
Secondly, prayer clears my thoughts and opens my mind to what to be thankful for, what sins I have done that need to be confessed and supplications for others and myself. Prayer brings me to the face of my Heavenly Father and He has promised to listen to my prayer, your prayer and the prayer of this child in Ouanaminthe.
Third, prayer quiets my heart. Prayer is a time for me to be still as I am in His Holy presence; prayer makes me quiet. And lastly, prayer activates my faith; as I know that He is on the other end of the phone listening to my words. Prayer brings me so close to the face of God and brings a sense of peace about me. Please continue to pray daily for the Trinity/HOPE feeding programs in Haiti. I close today with the words from the hymn ‘Our Father, Thou in Heaven above’ that was written by Martin Luther so many centuries ago.
“Our Father, Thou in heaven above, Who biddest us to dwell in love, as brethren of one family, to cry in every need to Thee, teach us no thoughtless word to say, but from our inmost heart to pray. Thy name be hallowed. Help us, Lord, in purity to keep Thy Word, that to the glory of thy name we walk before Thee free from blame. Let no false doctrine us pervert; all poor, deluded souls convert. Thy kingdom come. Thine let it be in time and in eternity. Let Thy good Spirit e'er be nigh our hearts with graces to supply. Break Satan's power, defeat his rage; preserve Thy Church from age to age. Thy gracious will on earth be done as 'tis in heaven before Thy throne; obedience in our weal and woe and patience in all grief bestow. Curb flesh and blood and every ill that sets itself against Thy will. Give us this day our daily bread and let us all be clothed and fed. From war and strife be our Defense, from famine and from pestilence, that we may live in godly peace, free from all care and avarice. Forgive our sins, Lord, we implore, remove from us their burden sore, as we their trespasses forgive who by offenses us do grieve. Thus let us dwell in charity and serve our brother willingly. Into temptation lead us not. When evil foes against us plot and vex our souls on every hand, oh, give us strength that we may stand firm in the faith, a well-armed host, through comfort of the Holy Ghost! From evil, Lord, deliver us; the times and days are perilous. Redeem us from eternal death, and when we yield our dying breath, console us, grant us calm release, and take our souls to Thee in peace. Amen, that is, So shall it be. Confirm our faith and hope in Thee that we may doubt not, but believe what here we ask we shall receive. Thus in Thy name and at Thy word we say: Amen. Oh, hear us, Lord! Amen.”
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you,
Jay