English Radio Program

21 August 2008

WHEN THE GRASS IS GROWING ON YOUR PATH

Always keep on praying…. 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Living Bible 

A Christian brother who lives in Africa tells about the men and women in his village who felt a need to have a place of prayer where they could escape from the rest of the tribe, a quiet, peaceful place of solitude. And certainly, living in a village where there were many people, finding such a place became a challenge. When a group of young Christians began to discover the power of prayer, they began going out into the forest at the break of day to read their Bibles and pray. The African brother telling the story said that if one becomes unfaithful and neglects taking time for prayer, the other believers will soon notice and will reprimand him by saying, "Brother, the grass is beginning to grow on your path."

Whether you live in Africa or in Tokyo or Manila , it is not easy to find time each day for prayer and Bible study. Yet, nothing is more important to your spiritual development than taking time for prayer. S. D. Gordon wrote this about the importance of prayer, "The greatest thing anyone can do for God and man is pray. It is not the only thing, but it is the chief thing. The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer; not those who say they believe in prayer; nor yet those who can explain about prayer; but I mean those people who take time to pray."

May I ask you, as our African friends put it, "Is there grass growing on your path to a prayer closet?" In other words, do you find time in a busy schedule to put the practice of prayer into operation? You may be one of those who are convinced that prayer is important, but you do not get around to bending the knee. Priorities have to determine the use of our time, because when it comes to our time we all have exactly the same amount.

Prayer is the oil that makes the machinery run smoothly. But it is more than this. To pray you do not have to recite words out of a prayer book, or go through a ritual, you can just let the words flow out of your heart in conversation with God. When you pray, whether it is individually or with your employees—yes, people do that—your day will go better.

One of the greatest misconceptions of our day is that prayer is reserved for only the professionals and those about to face a life-threatening operation. Don't you believe it! Theologians may not fully understand it, but the least significant child of God can put it into practice. You can pray about everything--your personal needs, your husband or wife, your children, your neighborhood, your world. You can pray about specific needs of your family and friends--physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, too. Pray for your government; for officials; for fellow Christians; even pray for your enemies, asking God to touch their lives; you can pray about anything, anytime. " You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” Jesus told His disciples (John 14:13,14).

I just picked up a new edition of The Merriam Webster dictionary, and among the definitions of prayer is this: "a slight chance." Prayer is no chance; no happenstance of fate. It is the result of a relationship established through Jesus Christ which lets you as God's child come into His presence and share your deepest needs with your heavenly Father. It is still the greatest power in the entire world, and there is nothing that takes its place. You can prove that fact for yourself.

Resource reading: Psalm 55.