Sep
22
Thinking Prayer
Filed Under Devotional
I make it a practice to try to convey the importance of prayer when asked about my faith. I feel it is such a waste to believe in God and not believe you can communicate with Him. It is difficult, however, to separate the Christian-speak from the message.
David was straightforward:
“I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.” Psalm 17:6
Matthew communicates Jesus’ disdain for fake prayer:
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” Matthew 6:5
Prayer is so personal that one man cannot tell another how to do it. And, no man can do it until he is compelled by circumstances to give up his pride and turn to it.
I don’t often have anything good to say about Hollywood, but I was watching the 1941 adaptation of Richard Llewellyn’s “How Green Was My Valley” and saw something incredible. There is a scene where the local minister, played by Walter Pidgeon, is sitting under a tree with the young Huw, played by Roddy McDowell, who was paralyzed after an accident and could not walk. After many months in bed, Huw finally has taken his first steps. The boy walking was not portrayed as a miracle, but rather as healing. The two rest for a moment and the minister gives this advice to the boy. “You’ve been lucky, Huw. Lucky to suffer and lucky to spend these weary months in bed. For so God has given you a chance to make the spirit within yourself. And, as your father cleans his lamp to have good light, so keep clean your spirit, huh? By prayer, Huw. And by prayer, I don’t mean shouting, mumbling, and wallowing like a hog in religious sentiment. Prayer is only another name for good, clean, direct thinking. When you pray, think. Think well what you’re saying. Make your thoughts into things that are solid. In that way, your prayer will have strength, and that strength will become a part of you, body, mind, and spirit. The first duty of these new legs is to get you to chapel on Sunday.”
My gosh. I thought that nailed it in plain English. Man-to-man, I don’t think it could be said better.