Let us pray

Today I'm celebrating the National Day of Prayer

From my childhood I was taught the importance of prayer in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I recall the memorable prayer time before bedtime on bended knee with a parent. Also, no one would ever consider picking up a fork at our house prior to the asking for a blessing of the meal. My seat at the table was nearest the phone (the single wall phone in our home, which was connected to a party line). One evening during the blessing the phone rang. I'll never forget grabbing the phone immediately after the prayer and saying "A-Men!" rather than "Hello" --- an explanation was definitely required as everyone at the table laughed hysterically.

As a child I remember wondering how would it possible to "Pray without ceasing" as encouraged in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. However, throughout my life experiences, I can easily recall many examples, including

• On my walk home after abandoning my Dad's new Datsun truck alongside the road, after seeing a spider on the ceiling above me
  
• The entire day of my college piano recitals (until Mr Sawyer reminded me to get out there and do it! after answering his two questions: have you practiced? have you prayed?)
  
• While stranded in my Maverick (filled with practically everything I owned) with my little brother, behind my parents' car on a flooded bridge on an highway heading to south Texas during a hurricane
  
• While pacing in the hallway every morning (with a pocketful of Pepto Bismol tablets) during the week of my PhD written exams
  
• While huddled in the bathtub during a tornado warning, clutching my laptop and backup dissertation files
  
• On the airplane in the rush to get home to be with a sick loved one
  
• After awakening during the night, burdened about a situation of a family member
  
• Sitting in the intensive care unit waiting room, knowing that someone had just crashed but no one yet knew who
  
• Sitting at the bedside of my Dad during his last days
  
• While lying on the bed in the pitch dark, with mud streaked down my leg from crawling over a tree after being stranded at the farm following my Dad's funeral and Hurricane Katrina, wondering how Mom and I would survive for the next 10-14 days on the 5 cans of food, one package of peanut butter and crackers, and a box of ding-dongs in the pantry (It seemed at the time as insurmountable as the feeding of the five thousand with the five loaves and two fishes, but the outcome was similar for us)
  
• While playing the piano or organ during family members' funerals (then resorting to counting quarter notes, half notes, etc on the pages to fight the tears)
  
• While listening to great friends courageously trying to sing or speak at our best friend's memorial service last summer
  I can assure you that God hears (and answers) the prayers of His people.
  

A lot of important people have said a lot about prayer, including:

• Many people pray as if God were a big aspirin pill; they come only when they hurt (B Graham Dienert)
  
• A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing (unknown)
  
• Prayer has comforted us in sorrow and will help strengthen us for the journey ahead (George W Bush)
  
• Prayer is the key to Heaven, but faith unlocks the door (unknown)
  
• Prayers go up and blessings come down (Yiddish proverb)
  
• Grant that I may not pray with the mouth; help me that I may pray from the depths of my heart (Martin Luther)

However, none of the above are as important as:

• For, whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13, NKJV)
• Delight yourself in the Lord; and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4, NIV)
• And all things, whatsover you shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive (Matthew 21:22, KJV)
• And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father (John 14:13, NIV)
• He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. (Psalm 91:15, NIV)
• Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know (Jeremiah 33:3, NIV)
• Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)
• Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16, KJV)
  

Here's a favorite song "Let Us Pray" by Steven Curtis Chapman that I hope you'll enjoy on this National Day of Prayer!



Image credit: Gospel Hill Posts