Prayer

A Time to Pray

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Back in 1968 the must-see movie in my circle of friends, was, “Romeo and Juliet”. Everybody I knew, whether they loved or hated that “Sorta-Shakespearean” version, could instantly recall its theme-song, “A Time for Us”. Maybe we liked it because that title pretty summed up our feeling that whatever happening of significance in the world, was all about us. But as I am getting to be nearly ancient by my own standards, I am learning that what happens around our neighborhood, our region or our nation has little to do with my plans or opinions. What matters is best summed up in how Jesus taught us to pray:

"Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
In earth as it is in Heaven"
Matthew 6:10 KJV

So, I say all this, to urge that with tomorrow’s meeting between our president and Vladimir Putin looming on the horizon, that we each make this, not a time for us, but “A Time to Pray. Rather than discussing, our brilliant political points, or our opinions about Zelensky, Trump or Putin, let’s urgently pray for peace for the hundreds of thousands of young Russians and Ukrainians facing one another on the frontlines of this war.

When the Apostle Paul made this appeal for prayer to Timothy, there were few of the “Kings and all those in authority,” that were any good. From Nero in Rome on down through Herod Agrippa II in Judea, these were not a morally stellar bunch. But the reason we are commanded to pray is not because we like our leaders, but because we are supporting the only king whose kingdom matters: King Jesus!

Faith of a Five-Year-Old

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“In Jesus name Amen,” I said after blessing the food before lunch at kid’s summer camp. Suddenly a tiny voice piped up from one five-year-old girl asking,

 “Hey Pete, why do you take your hat off when you pray?”

I was taken aback, first, because I was amazed that she paid such close attention to my prayer, and second, because no one had ever asked me that before.

“Well,” I slowly cleared my throat in an attempt at gaining a moment to think, “It’s in the Bible. Men have to take off their hats, but not the ladies.”

Seeming to feel that was good enough, my five-year-old friend smiled and nodded and then began munching on her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She was satisfied, but her question got me asking myself, “Just why do I take my hat off, close my eyes, or bow my head when I pray?” Then I recalled that my mom had taught me to pray, “Bless us O Lord and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive. Amen.” Those were simple words, but they covered just about everything that God expects when we pray. In the book of Luke, Jesus tells a little story about how two men prayed.

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Luke 18:10-12

Without even reading the rest of the story, we already know who Jesus wants us to be like. Maybe that Pharisee would have even prayed differently if he had just taken time to listen to himself. God also loves it when five-year-olds humbly ask honest questions about prayer, then respectfully listen to the answers, before munching on their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And Jesus loves it when we pray with the faith of a child, listen with their willingness to learn, and then gratefully receive those gifts that He has prepared for us to receive!

A Little Talk

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When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed my lambs. 
John 21:15 ESV

One old gospel song has a line that says, “Let us have a little talk with Jesus” And when people mention prayer usually we usually start thinking of what we will say in that little talk. But usually, what we really need to do is to let Jesus talk first! In today’s verse, Jesus is telling Peter something He had been trying to say for years. Bur Peter had been so busy talking that Jesus just couldn’t get Him to listen. One time Peter even boasted that He was more faithful than any of the other disciples.

At this Peter exclaimed, “Even if everyone should lose his faith in you, I never will!”
Matthew 26:33 Phillips New Testament

But that same night Peter denied even knowing Jesus three times. If you were Jesus, what would you do? What Jesus did was to come and have a little talk with Peter. Though we might criticize Peter, deep down inside we know that we have all failed just as badly or even worse. But the good news is that Jesus still comes and asks for us start walking with Him again, and He asks the question, “Do you love Me?” Then, when He has our full attention, He gently but firmly commands, “Then go feed My lambs!”

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