PRAYERS THAT WORK

#1 · June 12, 2003, 11:00 am

Quote from Forum Archives on June 12, 2003, 11:00 am
Posted by: henkf <henkf@...>

Dear God... Kid's wisdom in cartoon format/greeting cards

http://www.worldoutreach.ca/DearGod/

==========================================================

PRAYERS THAT WORK

Luke 11:1-13 Father Barry Foster, a priest in Dublin, Ireland, parked his car on a rather steep slope close to his church. His little cairn terrier was lying on the rear seat and could not be seen by anyone outside the vehicle. Father Foster got out of the car and turned to lock the door with his usual parting command to the dog. "Stay!" he ordered loudly, to an apparently empty car. "Stay!" An elderly man was watching the performance with amused interest. Grinning, he suggested, "Why don't you just try putting on the emergency brake?" (Colin Jeffery, CATHOLIC DIGEST, May 1992, p. 72.)

Our subject today is prayer. To the mind of the unbeliever, watching someone pray is the equal of watching someone say "Stay," to their automobile fully expecting it to obey. To the unbeliever prayer is an exercise in futility. But to the believer, prayer is the most powerful and the most reliable force in the world today.

It is clear that Jesus believed in prayer. His disciples often observed Jesus in communication with God. That is why they asked him to teach them to pray. Jesus gladly agreed to their request. We can divide Jesus' formula for prayer into three parts: A pattern for prayer, persistence in prayer and finally, the pay off for prayer.

LET'S DEAL FIRST WITH THE PATTERN FOR PRAYER.

When Jesus' disciples asked him to teach them to pray, he gave them a model prayer. "When you pray, say, `Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread; and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation.'" This, of course, is an early version of what we know as the Lord's Prayer.

Jesus is giving his disciples a pattern for prayer. It begins with an acknowledgment of who God is. It includes a request that our daily needs be met, that our sins be forgiven and that we be delivered from the power of the Tempter. The implication is that if you never prayed another prayer, but prayed this prayer with meaning daily, that would be sufficient. "When you pray, say, `Father, hallowed be thy name . . .' "

I'm not going to ask how many pray an entirely different prayer every time you pray. That would really be a challenge. If you were in prayer 365 days of the year, you would have to come up with 365 totally original prayers if you said something different every time. While such a practice is entirely possible, I'm not sure its essential.

God knows the desires of our heart before we even mention them. The most important element in prayer may be the act of praying itself. Prayer acknowledges our dependence on God. It acknowledges God's power and majesty and our own inadequacy and need. So what if we say the same thing every time we pray? The important thing is that we take some time each day to spend in God's presence.

It is fashionable in some churches to demean ritual--even a ritual such as the Lord's Prayer, that goes all the way back to Jesus. Ritual is very important to our lives. We have certain rituals when we eat, when we work, when we play. Ritual simply refers to following a familiar pattern. Such patterns play a vital role in our lives.

Studies of alcoholic families show that children whose families have managed to maintain some rituals--family dinners, regular bedtime routines, celebrations --are less likely to become alcoholics themselves or to marry alcoholics. Steven Wolin, a psychiatrist who has written a book on this subject says these conclusions apply to families troubled in other ways as well--by divorce, a parent's mental illness or the dispiriting effects of poverty. "Rituals can be protective, even in families with severe problems," he explains. ("The Incredible Healing Power of Family Rituals," by Jennifer Allen, MCCALLS, February 1993, p. 70.)

Ritual is very important to our lives. Studies show that members of churches where well-known prayers are used frequently in the liturgy are greatly comforted by hearing those prayers in times of distress. Of course, ritual can be abused. If we are not careful, it can even stand as a barrier to truly heartfelt and effective prayer. But don't worry if you find difficulty expressing yourself in new and original ways every time you pray. The important thing is to acknowledge your dependence on God, to confess your sins and to request Gods help with your daily needs. There is a pattern to prayer.

PRAYER IS ALSO A MATTER OF PERSISTENCE.

Here is one of the most intriguing of Jesus' teachings. Jesus gives us a hypothetical situation. A friend drops in unexpectedly, and you have nothing to serve him. But nearby lives another friend. So, even though it is midnight, you sneak over to the second friend's house and knock on his door asking him to loan you some bread. At first he ignores you but you keep pounding. Finally, just to get rid of you, he gives you the bread. Jesus says prayer is like that. "Ask, and it will be given you, seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." The key is persistence. Persistence is powerful in every area of our lives.

The Associated Press carried a story about Todd Oulette, a young man who is proof positive that one person acting alone can get the attention of the president of the United States. All you've got to do is walk across the country and camp in front of the White House day after day for 18 months--stand at attention hours at a time in the snow and rain and swampy summer heat, kneel on the sizzling cement or march around the president's house with 50 pounds of rice strapped to your shoulders.

Don't laugh. Its working. Two of President Clinton's top advisers talked to Oulette, with one delivering a letter from the president. But Oulette said he wouldn't abandon his vigil until President Clinton personally accepted his petitions demanding action on behalf of American servicemen who fought in Vietnam and are still not accounted for. "If the guy's got enough time to go golfing, he's got enough time to talk with me," he said. But Oulette was a little surprised hes gotten that far. "I'm just one person out here," he said. "It's not like you've got 5000 people out here. . . with me." Oulette, 27, is obsessed with the Vietnam POW-MIA issue. Writing to his congressman didn't work. "Sometimes you gotta go to the man," he said with a shrug.

The protest paid off when National Security Adviser Tony Lake stopped and chatted with Oulette and left with a sampling of petitions. Top Clinton aide George Stephanopoulos returned a few days later to deliver a letter from Clinton, commending Oulette for his "vigilant efforts" and his "ongoing commitment." Oulette noted that ink from the signature seeped to the back of the note--proof, he said, that Clinton signed it himself. Stephanopoulos offered to accept the rest of the petitions on Clinton's behalf, but Oulette refused. He wants five minutes with the president.

Back in Minnesota, far from the politics of war and Washington, Oulette's parents were mystified. "I hope he's doing some good," Joyce Oulette said by telephone. "But I wish he'd get on with his life." So far Todd Oulette's success has been limited, but who knows. Maybe through his persistence, he will prevail. Persistence often pays.

Dr. Richard Andersen tells about the history of his denomination, the Lutheran Church, in the former Soviet Union. Before 1928 there were 1.3 million Lutherans in the Soviet Union. Between 1928-1938 there were still 200 functioning parishes with 920,000 Lutherans and 98 pastors. In the latter Thirties, a mounting Communist persecution began against these Lutherans due to their German ethnicity. In 1937 the last two pastors were finally arrested, and the following year the last Lutheran Church property was confiscated by the Soviet authorities, the Church of St. Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg. The Lutheran bishop of that city, Arthur Malmgren, had written to his people beforehand. "The gospel shall remain and not perish, for not even the gates of hell shall destroy it," he wrote. Then he prophesied correctly: "But our organized Lutheran Church of Russia will disappear." And so it did . . . for a time . . . on the surface . . . officially!

Underneath, it continued. The Church had gone underground. Eugene Bachmann, a labor camp survivor, started traveling among the former Lutheran communities in 1955 to rally them together. There were many still thriving within homes, quietly and unofficially. Within time, the Lutheran Church gained official recognition once again. By 1974, Lutheran World Federation representatives were able to travel through the area with the former "secret bishop" of the Lutherans there, and discovered hundreds of existing congregations. Today, that "secret bishop" is secret no longer. Bishop Harold Kalnins ministers to tens of thousands of Lutherans who never gave up, who prayed when it seemed useless, who persisted in the face of terror.

One who did give up, who caved in to Soviet demands and Communism's coercion was the son of a martyred Lutheran pastor. He was separated from his Christian mother as a youth, sent to Siberia, and brutally treated. "When I could not stand any more, I renounced Christ. I renounced my heritage," he said. "I wanted to be part of my peer group." Years later, he received his mother's last letter written in a language he no longer knew . . . in German. It was translated for him by a friend and he memorized it.

"I have no earthly possession to give you," wrote his mother, "but I will give you the best I have. Remember Jesus always, follow Jesus always, love Jesus always. He is your Savior, and you are loved by Him."

"I cried," said that man. "The voice of my mother led me back to the faith that I had denied." It must have been her persistent prayer, her daily petition to our God while she was alive. And did not God answer it? That man is pastor today of a Lutheran congregation in what was the Soviet Union (Cited in his sermon, "Persisting in Prayer," November 8, 1992. Source: Krodel, Gerhard; "Follow Jesus Always," an article in THE LUTHERAN; October, 1992; Vol 5, Number 10; Page 22; published by Augsburg Fortress; Minneapolis.)

We think if we pray once or twice or even three times, God ought to act. Many followers of Jesus have reported that they prayed for years daily, offering up thousands of prayers before the fruit of those prayers became apparent. There is a pattern to prayer. The key is persistence.

FINALLY, JESUS SAYS, PRAYER HAS A PAY OFF.

Now, someone may be offended. The word "pay off" may sound too crass. But Jesus is as plain as he can be that if we are persistent in our prayer, God will meet our needs. We can trust God. The answer to our prayers may not be just the answer we had prescribed, but God can be trusted. Our prayers will not go unheeded.

It's like a little girl who crawled up into her father's lap while he was reading the newspaper and told him how much she wanted him to build her a dollhouse. She didn't climb down until her daddy had promised to do just that, although he was somewhat distracted and agreed mostly because he wanted to be allowed to continue reading his paper. He forgot his promise until he walked into her room one evening and saw all her dolls and doll furniture were packed to move into the new dollhouse. When he asked her about it, she simply told him that she knew he would be building it (even though he hadn't yet begun!) because he had promised that he would. That was good enough for her. (Ed Young, BAD BEGINNINGS TO HAPPY ENDINGS, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1994), p. 83)

I don't know a better definition of faith. God has promised to heed our prayers. They will not go unanswered. Our part is to trust that what we receive from God is for our best good. As Jesus said, "What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

That's what we need to know about prayer.

There is a pattern to prayer.

Effective prayer is often a matter of persistence.

Prayer always has a pay off.

God hears our prayers and responds to those prayers in accordance with what is best for our lives.

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.488 / Virus Database: 287 - Release Date: 6/5/2003

Posted by: henkf <henkf@...>

Dear God... Kid's wisdom in cartoon format/greeting cards

http://www.worldoutreach.ca/DearGod/

==========================================================

PRAYERS THAT WORK

Luke 11:1-13 Father Barry Foster, a priest in Dublin, Ireland, parked his car on a rather steep slope close to his church. His little cairn terrier was lying on the rear seat and could not be seen by anyone outside the vehicle. Father Foster got out of the car and turned to lock the door with his usual parting command to the dog. "Stay!" he ordered loudly, to an apparently empty car. "Stay!" An elderly man was watching the performance with amused interest. Grinning, he suggested, "Why don't you just try putting on the emergency brake?" (Colin Jeffery, CATHOLIC DIGEST, May 1992, p. 72.)

Our subject today is prayer. To the mind of the unbeliever, watching someone pray is the equal of watching someone say "Stay," to their automobile fully expecting it to obey. To the unbeliever prayer is an exercise in futility. But to the believer, prayer is the most powerful and the most reliable force in the world today.

It is clear that Jesus believed in prayer. His disciples often observed Jesus in communication with God. That is why they asked him to teach them to pray. Jesus gladly agreed to their request. We can divide Jesus' formula for prayer into three parts: A pattern for prayer, persistence in prayer and finally, the pay off for prayer.

LET'S DEAL FIRST WITH THE PATTERN FOR PRAYER.

When Jesus' disciples asked him to teach them to pray, he gave them a model prayer. "When you pray, say, `Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread; and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation.'" This, of course, is an early version of what we know as the Lord's Prayer.

Jesus is giving his disciples a pattern for prayer. It begins with an acknowledgment of who God is. It includes a request that our daily needs be met, that our sins be forgiven and that we be delivered from the power of the Tempter. The implication is that if you never prayed another prayer, but prayed this prayer with meaning daily, that would be sufficient. "When you pray, say, `Father, hallowed be thy name . . .' "

I'm not going to ask how many pray an entirely different prayer every time you pray. That would really be a challenge. If you were in prayer 365 days of the year, you would have to come up with 365 totally original prayers if you said something different every time. While such a practice is entirely possible, I'm not sure its essential.

God knows the desires of our heart before we even mention them. The most important element in prayer may be the act of praying itself. Prayer acknowledges our dependence on God. It acknowledges God's power and majesty and our own inadequacy and need. So what if we say the same thing every time we pray? The important thing is that we take some time each day to spend in God's presence.

It is fashionable in some churches to demean ritual--even a ritual such as the Lord's Prayer, that goes all the way back to Jesus. Ritual is very important to our lives. We have certain rituals when we eat, when we work, when we play. Ritual simply refers to following a familiar pattern. Such patterns play a vital role in our lives.

Studies of alcoholic families show that children whose families have managed to maintain some rituals--family dinners, regular bedtime routines, celebrations --are less likely to become alcoholics themselves or to marry alcoholics. Steven Wolin, a psychiatrist who has written a book on this subject says these conclusions apply to families troubled in other ways as well--by divorce, a parent's mental illness or the dispiriting effects of poverty. "Rituals can be protective, even in families with severe problems," he explains. ("The Incredible Healing Power of Family Rituals," by Jennifer Allen, MCCALLS, February 1993, p. 70.)

Ritual is very important to our lives. Studies show that members of churches where well-known prayers are used frequently in the liturgy are greatly comforted by hearing those prayers in times of distress. Of course, ritual can be abused. If we are not careful, it can even stand as a barrier to truly heartfelt and effective prayer. But don't worry if you find difficulty expressing yourself in new and original ways every time you pray. The important thing is to acknowledge your dependence on God, to confess your sins and to request Gods help with your daily needs. There is a pattern to prayer.

PRAYER IS ALSO A MATTER OF PERSISTENCE.

Here is one of the most intriguing of Jesus' teachings. Jesus gives us a hypothetical situation. A friend drops in unexpectedly, and you have nothing to serve him. But nearby lives another friend. So, even though it is midnight, you sneak over to the second friend's house and knock on his door asking him to loan you some bread. At first he ignores you but you keep pounding. Finally, just to get rid of you, he gives you the bread. Jesus says prayer is like that. "Ask, and it will be given you, seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." The key is persistence. Persistence is powerful in every area of our lives.

The Associated Press carried a story about Todd Oulette, a young man who is proof positive that one person acting alone can get the attention of the president of the United States. All you've got to do is walk across the country and camp in front of the White House day after day for 18 months--stand at attention hours at a time in the snow and rain and swampy summer heat, kneel on the sizzling cement or march around the president's house with 50 pounds of rice strapped to your shoulders.

Don't laugh. Its working. Two of President Clinton's top advisers talked to Oulette, with one delivering a letter from the president. But Oulette said he wouldn't abandon his vigil until President Clinton personally accepted his petitions demanding action on behalf of American servicemen who fought in Vietnam and are still not accounted for. "If the guy's got enough time to go golfing, he's got enough time to talk with me," he said. But Oulette was a little surprised hes gotten that far. "I'm just one person out here," he said. "It's not like you've got 5000 people out here. . . with me." Oulette, 27, is obsessed with the Vietnam POW-MIA issue. Writing to his congressman didn't work. "Sometimes you gotta go to the man," he said with a shrug.

The protest paid off when National Security Adviser Tony Lake stopped and chatted with Oulette and left with a sampling of petitions. Top Clinton aide George Stephanopoulos returned a few days later to deliver a letter from Clinton, commending Oulette for his "vigilant efforts" and his "ongoing commitment." Oulette noted that ink from the signature seeped to the back of the note--proof, he said, that Clinton signed it himself. Stephanopoulos offered to accept the rest of the petitions on Clinton's behalf, but Oulette refused. He wants five minutes with the president.

Back in Minnesota, far from the politics of war and Washington, Oulette's parents were mystified. "I hope he's doing some good," Joyce Oulette said by telephone. "But I wish he'd get on with his life." So far Todd Oulette's success has been limited, but who knows. Maybe through his persistence, he will prevail. Persistence often pays.

Dr. Richard Andersen tells about the history of his denomination, the Lutheran Church, in the former Soviet Union. Before 1928 there were 1.3 million Lutherans in the Soviet Union. Between 1928-1938 there were still 200 functioning parishes with 920,000 Lutherans and 98 pastors. In the latter Thirties, a mounting Communist persecution began against these Lutherans due to their German ethnicity. In 1937 the last two pastors were finally arrested, and the following year the last Lutheran Church property was confiscated by the Soviet authorities, the Church of St. Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg. The Lutheran bishop of that city, Arthur Malmgren, had written to his people beforehand. "The gospel shall remain and not perish, for not even the gates of hell shall destroy it," he wrote. Then he prophesied correctly: "But our organized Lutheran Church of Russia will disappear." And so it did . . . for a time . . . on the surface . . . officially!

Underneath, it continued. The Church had gone underground. Eugene Bachmann, a labor camp survivor, started traveling among the former Lutheran communities in 1955 to rally them together. There were many still thriving within homes, quietly and unofficially. Within time, the Lutheran Church gained official recognition once again. By 1974, Lutheran World Federation representatives were able to travel through the area with the former "secret bishop" of the Lutherans there, and discovered hundreds of existing congregations. Today, that "secret bishop" is secret no longer. Bishop Harold Kalnins ministers to tens of thousands of Lutherans who never gave up, who prayed when it seemed useless, who persisted in the face of terror.

One who did give up, who caved in to Soviet demands and Communism's coercion was the son of a martyred Lutheran pastor. He was separated from his Christian mother as a youth, sent to Siberia, and brutally treated. "When I could not stand any more, I renounced Christ. I renounced my heritage," he said. "I wanted to be part of my peer group." Years later, he received his mother's last letter written in a language he no longer knew . . . in German. It was translated for him by a friend and he memorized it.

"I have no earthly possession to give you," wrote his mother, "but I will give you the best I have. Remember Jesus always, follow Jesus always, love Jesus always. He is your Savior, and you are loved by Him."

"I cried," said that man. "The voice of my mother led me back to the faith that I had denied." It must have been her persistent prayer, her daily petition to our God while she was alive. And did not God answer it? That man is pastor today of a Lutheran congregation in what was the Soviet Union (Cited in his sermon, "Persisting in Prayer," November 8, 1992. Source: Krodel, Gerhard; "Follow Jesus Always," an article in THE LUTHERAN; October, 1992; Vol 5, Number 10; Page 22; published by Augsburg Fortress; Minneapolis.)

We think if we pray once or twice or even three times, God ought to act. Many followers of Jesus have reported that they prayed for years daily, offering up thousands of prayers before the fruit of those prayers became apparent. There is a pattern to prayer. The key is persistence.

FINALLY, JESUS SAYS, PRAYER HAS A PAY OFF.

Now, someone may be offended. The word "pay off" may sound too crass. But Jesus is as plain as he can be that if we are persistent in our prayer, God will meet our needs. We can trust God. The answer to our prayers may not be just the answer we had prescribed, but God can be trusted. Our prayers will not go unheeded.

It's like a little girl who crawled up into her father's lap while he was reading the newspaper and told him how much she wanted him to build her a dollhouse. She didn't climb down until her daddy had promised to do just that, although he was somewhat distracted and agreed mostly because he wanted to be allowed to continue reading his paper. He forgot his promise until he walked into her room one evening and saw all her dolls and doll furniture were packed to move into the new dollhouse. When he asked her about it, she simply told him that she knew he would be building it (even though he hadn't yet begun!) because he had promised that he would. That was good enough for her. (Ed Young, BAD BEGINNINGS TO HAPPY ENDINGS, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1994), p. 83)

I don't know a better definition of faith. God has promised to heed our prayers. They will not go unanswered. Our part is to trust that what we receive from God is for our best good. As Jesus said, "What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

That's what we need to know about prayer.

There is a pattern to prayer.

Effective prayer is often a matter of persistence.

Prayer always has a pay off.

God hears our prayers and responds to those prayers in accordance with what is best for our lives.

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.488 / Virus Database: 287 - Release Date: 6/5/2003