That may sound irreverent but I’m sure you know what I mean.   It is
a fact of human nature that when people feel threatened they turn to
prayer.   Yet few persist.

Do you remember the story of the small boy who sat on the jetty,
dipping his feet into the cool water.   Beside him sat an old
weather-beaten sailor.   "What is the wind?" asked the boy.  
There was a long pause while the two sat watching the breeze ruffle the
water.   "I don’t know," answered the sailor at last.   "I
can’t tell you what the wind is but I know how to hoist a sail."  
Later, the boy asked, "How does prayer work?"   Another long
silence as they sat quietly looking out to sea.   "Son,"
replied the sailor, "I don’t know how prayer works, I only know
that it does."

I expect you have attended prayer meetings where people pray for a
few minutes, perhaps a quarter of an hour, then there is an embarrassing
silence.   Yet those people have, or know of, many prayer points.   The
world is in a mess; the kid next door is on drugs; a couple you know are
separating; a relative has cancer, friends are in financial trouble;
missionaries need prayer support; we need to pray for the church; I’m
worried about young Jimmy driving the car; the drought and starvation in
Africa…The list goes on and on.   Yet most people run out of prayer
points in a few minutes.   Why?

Because we are unprepared for prayer.   We have forgotten even before
we start, those things, people and events that need our prayers.   We
would no more think of going to an important meeting, or entering a
courtroom, without having a pretty good idea of what we are going to
say.   Yet with prayer we are going into the Throne Room of God the
Father and standing in His presence – totally unprepared.   Not only do
our prayers hit the ceiling – many do not even reach our lips.

The Parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-5) has only one
message – persistence.   And there is no more common   failing in our
prayer life than a failure to prepare and persist.   Almost every
transaction in life depends first and foremost upon trusting a promise
and acting on it.   Can I be sure that Jesus is with me?   Am I certain
that God will hear me?   Yes, because of promises made to us in the
Scriptures.   But a promise can only be proven by trusting that promise
and then by an act that will prove your trust. Like the little girl who
attended a church service that was to pray for drought-breaking rain.  
She was the only one who took an umbrella.

I really wonder sometimes if we understand true faith.

Have a good week.

Pastor Ron

Optional Bible readings:   Luke 18:1-5, 1 Timothy 2:1-3   and James
2:14-26 This is one of a series of weekly messages of encouragement
originating from the Derwent Valley, near Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. A
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