Monday, November 26, 2007 So, you want to pray? By Henrylito D. Tacio Regarding Henry
JOHN Ironside, an American ardent soul-winner, spent his short life preaching on the streets, in the parks, in halls and theaters, wherever he could. But at age 27, he contracted typhoid and quickly died, leaving his wife Sophia with two small boys and no income.
One of the boys, Harry watched his mother closely. On one occasion, he recalled company coming for supper. Sophia's cupboard was nearly bare, but she scraped together a meal with the little that remained.
After the visitors left, she found under one of their plates a ten-dollar bill-a vast sum in those days. With eyes full of tears, she offered thanks to God.
Some time later, the cupboard was again empty. Sophia gathered her two sons to the table for breakfast, but their plates were empty, and there was only water to drink. "We will give thanks, boys," she said. Closing her eyes, she prayed, "Father, Thou hast promised in Thy Word, 'Your bread shall be given you, and your water shall be sure.' We have the water, and we thank Thee for it. And now, we trust Thee for the bread, or for that which will take its place."
Just as she finished praying, the doorbell rang, and the boys ran to the door to find a man there. "Mrs. Ironside," he said, "I feel very bad. We have been owing you for months for that dress you made for my wife. We've had no money to pay you. But just now we're harvesting our potatoes, and we wondered if you would take a bushel or two on account of the old bill."
"Indeed, I'll be glad to," replied Sophia.
And in few minutes, the potatoes were sizzling in the frying pan, and the boys had answered prayer for breakfast.
"Prayer is the gymnasium of the soul," says Samuel M. Zwemer. George Buttrick forwards: "Prayer is not a substitute for work, thinking, watching, suffering, or giving; prayer is a support for all other efforts."
William A. Ward believes that God is never more than a prayer away from us. He explains: "We address and stamp a letter and send it on its way, confident that it will reach its destination, but we doubtfully wonder if our prayers will be heard by an ever-present God... If laser beams can cut through mountains, why should we doubt the power of prayer? Wonderful things can happen to us when we live expectantly, believe confidently, and pray affirmatively. The pulse of prayer is praise. The heart of prayer is gratitude. The voice of prayer is obedience. The arm of prayer is service."
"Prayer is more than verbally filling in some requisition blank," Billy Graham states. "It's fellowship with God! It's communion with the Lord through praising Him, rehearsing His promises, and then sharing our needs."
Yes, God always answers prayers - in his own mysterious ways. Dr. Robert Schuller reminds us in his thought-provoking piece:
"When the idea is not right, God says, 'No.' No - when the idea is not the best. No - when the idea is absolutely wrong. No - when though it may help you, it could create problems for someone else.
"When the time is not right, God says, 'Slow.' What a catastrophe it would if God answered every prayer at the snap of your fingers. Do you know what would happen? God would become your servant, not your master. Suddenly, God would be working for you instead of you working for God. Remember: God's delays are not God's denials. God's timing is perfect. Patience is what we need in prayer.
"When you are right, God says, 'Grow.' The selfish person has to grow in unselfishness. The cautious person must grow courage. The timid person must grow in confidence. The dominating person must grow in sensitivity. The critical person must grow in tolerance. The negative person must grow in positive attitudes. The pleasure-seeking person must grow in compassion for suffering people.
"When everything is all right, God says, 'Go.' Then miracles happen: A hopeless alcoholic is set free. A drug addict finds release. A doubter becomes as a child in his belief. Diseased tissue responds to treatment, and healing begins. The door to your dream suddenly swings open and there stand God saying, 'Go!'"
