LET US PRAY!  

This week we celebrate our sermon series on Spiritual Disciplines by focusing on the discipline to PRAY! Adele Calhoun begins her chapter to Pray with this proclamation: “Prayer is a word that describes a relationship.” 

Have you ever thought of prayer as a way to maintain and attend to a relationship in your life? 

And not just any relationship – but THE most important relationship you have! Think for just a moment of the things you do throughout the day … the week … the month … the year … to maintain and attend to your most important relationships. Now … think if you spend that much time and make that much effort in your relationship with God. 

I like to say, to pray is to say to God, “I welcome you into my life today – just as it is. And I give all power over my life to you – just as you are!” In doing this, you can access the most mighty power on earth – that of God. 

An ancient quote from Theophan the Recluse puts it this way: “To pray is to descend with the mind into the heart (remember Pastor Bob saying the longest hardest journey for any human being is from the head to the heart!), and there stand before the face of the Lord, ever present, all-seeing, within you.” Wow! I love that quote! Don’t you? 

I know this sounds cliché, or even corny, but it is absolutely true – prayer is the answer for your life today! Whatever is going on with you today – the good, the bad, and the ugly … prayer is the answer. You may ask how I know that: I know that because I believe that prayer is simply the answer for all of life. 

And yes, I know that other much more “practical” things often “solve” the problems way face on a daily basis – but where do you think those things came from? How do they even exist? How do you think your life connected with them in your moment of need? And friends – let’s be honest: Why is it that we’re so quick to blame “outside forces” (yes, even God!) for the bad stuff that comes upon us, but yet so hesitant to praise God for all the good stuff? Truth is we’re more apt to credit ourselves for the good stuff!  

One thing prayer does is help us overcome this dominance of self-will in our lives. Prayer helps us learn to humble ourselves before God and helps us understand that God is the primary force working in our life today and that ALL good things come from God. 

So YES! Prayer is the most important act you can take for the most important relationship in your life. Any questions? Well – the truth is we have a lot of questions about prayer, don’t we? 

This Sunday – join us at Vine Street Christian Church as we attempt to answer some of the questions we all have about prayer – and help to turn our lives a little bit more toward God, the most mighty and amazing power on the face of the earth! 

Come pray with us this Sunday!