 Prayer "And they continued . . . steadfast in . . ."
For the last few weeks, we have been looking at what the Bible describes as the activity of the fledgling Church after Jesus ascended to heaven and after the Holy Spirit came upon them in great power. This week we will begin to talk about prayer. Whether it is a liturgical scripted recitation, or a desperate cry of the heart from an ICU waiting room; sooner or later we, all of us, pray. I have seen amazing answers to prayer. I cannot deny that. I have also prayed as sincerely and as fervently as I know how, only to see an outcome that seemed to be the opposite of what I asked. Jesus' disciples came to Him one day and said, "John the Baptist taught his disciples to pray. Would you teach us?" He obliged. For the next weeks, I want us to look with new eyes at what Jesus taught them and what He wants us to learn today. I approach this subject with great expectation and with a little caution. You see, I have been influenced both positively and negatively by what I have read on this subject. There are lots of books to read; they run the gamut from "how to" books, to scathing rebukes for "lack of faith." I believe the Lord will teach us if we approach this with humility and willingness to be taught. Let's roll up our sleeves and get busy. Pastor Jim |
