In college, a book was passed around through all the really “spiritually minded” students called Practicing the Presence of God by a monk named Brother Lawrence. I can’t say I read it completely through, but I remember one particular quote about Brother Lawrence’s personal prayer life: “For many years I was bothered by the thought that I was a failure at prayer. Then one day I realized that I would always be a failure at prayer; and I’ve gotten along much better ever since.”
This week as we get to the end of James, we talk about prayer, and I must say as your speaker for the day, I am a person who often feels the burden of being a failure at prayer. I pray faithfully . . . WHEN I am in a serious bind. WHEN my kids are sick or WHEN someone dies, I pray! But when things are going great, I rarely think about praying. In fact, when things are going sort of bad or things are unsure . . . I usually don’t think to resort to prayer.
I hope not, but maybe you are like me. Maybe you don’t pray as much as you should. When I think logically, it’s just crazy not to pray. Sometimes I wonder if from heaven above God wonders why we choose to struggle so much without asking for help. I can imagine Jesus saying, “How bad does it have to get before you ask for a little help?! I am right here for you—amazing power! The resurrection Spirit of Christ that dwells in every believer is only a prayer away.”
Instead, we run around on our own and say, “No, no, I can handle this.” It’s interesting in James 5: 13-18, James, who much have spent large amounts of time with his half brother Jesus, does not talk about the theology of prayer, or how to pray, or prove the effects of prayer that much. He just applies it. James says, “Just do it.”
This week we will look at how we can “just do it” and be people of prayer.
This week as we get to the end of James, we talk about prayer, and I must say as your speaker for the day, I am a person who often feels the burden of being a failure at prayer. I pray faithfully . . . WHEN I am in a serious bind. WHEN my kids are sick or WHEN someone dies, I pray! But when things are going great, I rarely think about praying. In fact, when things are going sort of bad or things are unsure . . . I usually don’t think to resort to prayer.
I hope not, but maybe you are like me. Maybe you don’t pray as much as you should. When I think logically, it’s just crazy not to pray. Sometimes I wonder if from heaven above God wonders why we choose to struggle so much without asking for help. I can imagine Jesus saying, “How bad does it have to get before you ask for a little help?! I am right here for you—amazing power! The resurrection Spirit of Christ that dwells in every believer is only a prayer away.”
Instead, we run around on our own and say, “No, no, I can handle this.” It’s interesting in James 5: 13-18, James, who much have spent large amounts of time with his half brother Jesus, does not talk about the theology of prayer, or how to pray, or prove the effects of prayer that much. He just applies it. James says, “Just do it.”
This week we will look at how we can “just do it” and be people of prayer.
Mark
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