Sunday, November 24, 2002
Sunday, November 24, 2002
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is
the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
For others, it is a way of manipulating God. A lady who works as a bookkeeping clerk in a large
bank tells about an elderly lady who came to her desk one day, obviously ecstatic. "Honey, I don't
need those praying hands on my checks anymore," she said. "I ordered them while I was looking
for a husband after my Albert died. Well, I found one, so I don't need that design now. Just get
me some butterflies or flowers." How often we encounter this approach to prayer. For some
people prayer is simply a means of getting favors from God. They've missed the whole point of
talking with God.
God wants to hear from you, and God wants to talk to you.
(1 Thessalonians 5.16-18
NRSV)
Many of us go through the motions of praying. Dick Van Dyke once told of a little boy who was
dining with his parents at the home of an elderly man. After watching the old man bow his head
and speak in a soft voice, the boy asked his mother, "What did Mr. Bryan say to his plate?" For
many people prayer has no more real meaning than talking to their plate. It is a ritual, a mindless
act, a conditioned response.
Loving God, it has been awhile since we've had a good talk...
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