“So, when we preach about Christ dying to save them, the Jews are offended, and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. But God has opened the eyes of those called to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, to see that Christ is the mighty power of God to save them; Christ himself is the center of God’s wise plan for their salvation.” (I Corinthians 1:23-24 The Living Bible)
Tuesday night, as church members gathered for a virtual prayer meeting, looking back at the year that was ending and the new year beginning, two primary-age children, a sister and a brother, grandchildren of the pastor who will take the lead at our church next autumn, they revealed that they were being influenced by faith in God, by their presence and participation. First, we are impressed by the fact that these children wanted to attend prayer meeting. But what was more impressive was what they said.
To put a picture in your mind, let me inform you that these kids formed the top and bottom pieces of a prayer sandwich. This was unscripted, unplanned by us, but it was not unusual of the Spirit moving in an undeniable Christian home. The prayers that formed the meat, the inner part of the prayer sandwich, rendered by season saints were powerful and those adults prayed like they were the only ones in some prayer closet as they talked to God. But listen to this! The sister started out with her unrehearsed prayer, unquestionably from her heart, laying the bottom piece of the sandwich “on the table,” concluding her prayer with these words, “And thank you Lord for sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.”
Following the little girl’s prayer, as alluded to above, there were a lot of prayers rendered by the adults who attended our virtual prayer service. It was obvious they knew that prayer makes a difference. It was apparent that they believed the age-old adage, “Much prayer! Much power!” They definitely did not think the words, “Jesus is on the mainline” were just part of a church song. Their sincere prayers were stirring, surely inspiring, and there was a showing by their words, how the knowledge of the word of God helps one pray. These sanctified saints gave thanks! They rendered praise to the Lord above! They acknowledged His love! Their voices raised with repeated “Hallelujahs” and “Amens!” They prayed for the sick, prayer for the shut-in, prayed for the spreading of the gospel, and while praying they also made special requests for the Lord to intervene in the lives of those who were going through serious situations and staggering in sudden, sinking grief that was staying longer then suspected it would linger. They prayed, prayed, and prayed, knowing that we have a God who hears and answers the prayers of His people. They prayer, knowing that the Lord hears us when we call, and the Lord delivers! Strength was requested! Sustaining power to survive difficulties being experienced by others was requested! Sight to see the new things that the Lord was already doing was requested! Yes, it was acknowledged that sometimes God is doing something new in our right now moment, but we fail to see it. Nevertheless, you could tell by their words that even if they could not see the new things completely, they would commit to being God conscious, Christ-centered, and to walk by faith and not by sight! Oh, I could on, but let me just say it again, “they prayed, prayed, and prayed,’ in the name of Jesus. That was the meat of the figurative prayer sandwich.
Here is where the little girl’s younger brother came in. It was his second time praying, realizing that you can call Him up repeated times and anytime, as often as moved to go to the gracious throne of our God. This time, he specifically thanked God for raising Jesus from the dead! The prayer sandwich was complete, all because of “what they (the children) said.” Praise God! They had to have been taught that we must never leave out the cross on which Jesus died and His resurrection from the grave! Oh, “what they said!” Praise God again! Have a super Saturday! Don’t stay up too late! You have to be in the assembly of the saints tomorrow! Be blessed!
“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:1-4 NIV)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King