I was struck this morning by the difference between my own nice sweet quiet prayers and the prayers of Jesus Christ. The Bible astonishes me when it says that “He was heard because of His Godly fear. Maybe many of my prayers are not heard because they are no more than just words recited by habit as I begin another day. What is this Godly fear that even Jesus had and how can I enter into this to find His help for my needs and for the desperate needs of the world around me?
Seeing in this morning’s news yet another account of a terror attack in New York I am burdened for the needs of New York and for our nation. Rather than the usual finger-pointing as to who is to blame; why don’t we fall on our faces and cry out to the only one who can help? Jesus was not afraid of His Father in the manner of worry that He would be rejected. He was instead praying with the reverent fear that says, “On;y you can help!” In fact Jesus stated plainly, “I can of Myself do nothing. ..” John 5:30 Jesus said again “then you will know that I am He,and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me…” John 8:28 The same Jesus who walked on water, healed blind eyes and multiplied bread, said that He wasn’t doing even one single thing without asking for His Father’s help. This morning before we try again to come up with new solutions or new people to blame for our vulnerability we must run to our only hope and refuge: God Almighty, who alone is able to save!
We are not protected by our technology, our weapons or by our popularity. Our protection, blessing, help and strength can only be found in Jesus Christ. Who will join me this morning and truly cry out for God to hear, to help and to deliver from death? It may seem out of touch with modern attitudes towards prayers of faith but it is never wrong to pray like Jesus prayed. No one had greater faith than the Son of God; yet no one prayed more earnestly to be heard by His heavenly Father. And He was heard because of His Godly fear! He was not delivered from the cross; but from the grave! What a mighty Savior we serve!
After finishing that job and even another later on it began to be clear that I would probably never get paid. As time passed I complained to my family, then to my friends and then one day God showed me that I needed to forgive him. I was so ashamed as I realized that I had who had preached forgiveness had practiced forgiveness only in theory. In reality when I was the one who held the bill I was expecting payment in full. Slowly I began a process of forgiving which has led me to freedom and joy worth far more than the unpaid bill. 
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