“Confess your trespasses to one
another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective,
fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
James
5:16
There is a
story told of 5 young college students in London who decided to go hear a
popular preacher of their day by the name of Charles Spurgeon. They arrived
early and waited outside for the doors to open. As they were waiting, they were
approached by an older gentleman who asked if they would like for him to show
them around as they waited. They agreed and the man asked if they would like to
start by seeing the “heating plant (the boiler room)”. They were not
particularly interested as it was a hot day, but they did not want to offend
the man so they agreed. He led them down a stairway where he opened the door
and whispered… “This is our heating plant.” Surprised the students gazed inside
to see 700 people bowed in prayer seeking a blessing on the service that would
soon begin. Softly closing the door, the man introduced himself. It was Charles
Spurgeon.
Charles
Spurgeon once said, “I would rather teach one man to pray than 10 men to
preach!”
Today many
of our spiritual lives have turned cold because of the absolute lack of time
spent in prayer. We have lost our spiritual passion for it! We’d rather spend
four hours watching the Super Bowl or two hours waiting in line for the next
I-phone. We’d rather hear inspiring sermons on prayer, read books about prayer,
or post quotes on our Facebook page about it, than actually spend time engaging
in it!
We complain
about how the courts took prayer out of school back in 1962, but I am wondering
who removed it from church? Who removed it from our daily lives? Where are the
people protesting outside the church, demanding the church hold a prayer
meeting? Where are the wives and children picketing outside their homes crying
out for prayer?
2 Chronicles
7:14 declares:
“If my people, who are called by my name,
will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked
ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal
their land.”
If we
believe that prayer can transform households and turn nations, why do we
neglect it?
Here is the
sad reality. The reason for the removal of prayer from our public schools is a
legal issue. The reason for a lack of prayer in our churches is a “faith”
problem! If there is a place on this earth that should be permeated with
prayer, it ought to be the church!
Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/
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