PRAYER AND BUMPER STICKERS
Tremendous power is made available through a good man's earnest prayer. James 5:16, Phillips.
The car just in front of me on my right began gliding into my lane without signaling. As I jammed on my brakes, I noticed that this unperplexed driver had a prominently placed bumper sticker on his car that read: "When you pray, wonderful things happen!"
I can't help but wonder what a nonbeliever would have thought of this driver's irresponsible actions in view of his obvious advertisement that he was a follower of God. Should prayer make us careless? You've heard the expression "They're so heavenly minded that they're of no earthly good!" What a sad indictment of what knowing God is supposed to do for people!
What about prayer? If "tremendous power is made available through a good man's prayer," what can we honestly expect in our own lives? Is labeling everything "God's will" (because, after all, we've "prayed about it") the only way we can claim God's activity in our lives? Unfortunately, this kind of attitude tends to produce careless living patterns.
Prayer is entering into intimate fellowship with the most awesome Mind in the universe! It is our privilege to "think in His presence"--to work through any and every facet of our lives while consciously interfacing with God's wisdom. It is accepting the accountability for how we live, fully awake to His guidance, without fear of condemnation, because we know that it is not His purpose to belittle or browbeat us. In communion with Him we are set free to look squarely at our lives, meeting the challenges with head held high. We are released from mediocrity--we are yoked with divinity! We are released from pettiness--our inspiration is infinity!
I believe that the tremendous power available in prayer is the power to live intelligently and reasonably. It is not a power attained by the waving of a magic wand; it is gained by being in the presence of One who is wonderfully reasonable and realistic. And our prayers are effectual because we ourselves are being made more effective through companionship with Him!
As God's friends, let's make sure we do not give unbelievers the wrong impression. We are not exempt from the grubby realities of everyday living. And we are not beyond forgetting to signal when we change lanes! Perhaps someone ought to design a bumper sticker that says, "There's hope! God and I are still talking!"
Tremendous power is made available through a good man's earnest prayer. James 5:16, Phillips.
The car just in front of me on my right began gliding into my lane without signaling. As I jammed on my brakes, I noticed that this unperplexed driver had a prominently placed bumper sticker on his car that read: "When you pray, wonderful things happen!"
I can't help but wonder what a nonbeliever would have thought of this driver's irresponsible actions in view of his obvious advertisement that he was a follower of God. Should prayer make us careless? You've heard the expression "They're so heavenly minded that they're of no earthly good!" What a sad indictment of what knowing God is supposed to do for people!
What about prayer? If "tremendous power is made available through a good man's prayer," what can we honestly expect in our own lives? Is labeling everything "God's will" (because, after all, we've "prayed about it") the only way we can claim God's activity in our lives? Unfortunately, this kind of attitude tends to produce careless living patterns.
Prayer is entering into intimate fellowship with the most awesome Mind in the universe! It is our privilege to "think in His presence"--to work through any and every facet of our lives while consciously interfacing with God's wisdom. It is accepting the accountability for how we live, fully awake to His guidance, without fear of condemnation, because we know that it is not His purpose to belittle or browbeat us. In communion with Him we are set free to look squarely at our lives, meeting the challenges with head held high. We are released from mediocrity--we are yoked with divinity! We are released from pettiness--our inspiration is infinity!
I believe that the tremendous power available in prayer is the power to live intelligently and reasonably. It is not a power attained by the waving of a magic wand; it is gained by being in the presence of One who is wonderfully reasonable and realistic. And our prayers are effectual because we ourselves are being made more effective through companionship with Him!
As God's friends, let's make sure we do not give unbelievers the wrong impression. We are not exempt from the grubby realities of everyday living. And we are not beyond forgetting to signal when we change lanes! Perhaps someone ought to design a bumper sticker that says, "There's hope! God and I are still talking!"
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