If you have so much business to attend to that you have no time to pray, depend upon it, you have more business on hand than God ever intended you should have.

God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede.

Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger people. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle. Every day you shall wonder at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God.

When you pray, don't let your feelings master you. Your feelings have been conditioned to respond to the wrong stimuli.

It isn't necessary to be too verbose in prayer, because lengthy prayers encourage wandering thoughts.

I thank you, Lord, that we do not have to extract things from you, and that you extract things from us.

The article cited new research saying that 91% of American women and 85% of men pray--but perhaps most amazing was the finding that one out of five atheists and agnostics prays each day!

We often use praise as a substitute for prayer.

Call on God, but row away from the rocks.

Too many Christians expect million dollar answers to ten-cent prayers.

A man had a habit of grumbling at the food his wife placed before him at family meals. Then he would ask the blessing. One day after his usual combination complaint-prayer, his little girl asked, "Daddy, does God hear us when we pray?" "Why, of course," he replied. "He hears us every time we pray." She on this a moment, and asked, "Does he hear everything we say the rest of the time?" "Yes, dear, every word," he replied, encouraged that he had inspired his daughter to be curious about spiritual matters. However, his pride was quickly turned to humility... "Then which does God believe?"

Pastor Joe Wright of Kansas was asked to lead the Kansas State Senate in prayer. They were expecting the usual formal prayer to open the session but that is not what happened. The pastor used the moment as a confessional and prophetic opportunity. As he prayed there were some senators who got up and walked out. When Paul Harvey (a national known radio news and editorialist) got a hold of the prayer and read it on his program he got more requests for copies of it than any other thing he had ever done. Here's what Rev. Wright the prayed: "Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good," but that's exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values. We confess that: We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism. We have worshipped other gods and called it multi-culturalism. We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it a choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem. We have abused power and called it political savvy. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the airwaves with profanity and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by You, to govern this great state. Grant them Your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of Your will....Amen."

Consider what two petitions Christ couples together in His prayer: when my body, which every day is hungry, can live without God's giving it daily bread, then and no sooner shall I believe that my soul, which daily sinneth, can spiritually live without God's forgiving it its trespasses.

A priest dies and is waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him is a guy who's dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket and jeans. Saint Peter addresses him, "Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you into the Kingdom of Heaven?" The guy replies, "I'm Joe Cohen, taxi driver, from New York." Saint Peter consults his list. He smiles and says to the taxi driver, "Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven." Now it's the minister's turn. He stands erect and booms out, "I am the Right Reverend Joseph Snow, pastor of Saint Mary's for the last forty-three years." Saint Peter consults his list. He says to the minister, "Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven." "Just a minute," says the priest. "That man was a taxi driver and he gets a silken robe and golden staff???" "Results," shrugged Saint Pete. "While you preached, people slept; when he drove, people prayed."

Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you yourself shall be a miracle. Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God.

Teach me. O God, to use all the circumstances of my life to-day that they may bring forth in me the fruits of holiness rather than the fruits of sin. Let me use disappointment as material for patience: Let me use success as material for thankfulness: Let me use suspence as material for perseverance: Let me use danger as material for courage: Let me use reproach as material for longsuffering: Let me use praise as material for humility: Let me use pleasures as material for temperance: Let me use pains as material for endurance.

"dad@hvn,ur spshl. we want wot u want&urth2b like hvn.giv us food&4giv r sins lyk we 4giv uvaz.don't test us!save us! bcos we kno ur boss,ur tuf&ur cool 4 eva!ok?" -- Matthew Campbell, a history student at York University in the UK, who wrote this rendition of the Lord's Prayer for cell phone text messaging. Campbell was the winner of a contest sponsored by Ship of Fools ( http://www.ship-of-fools.com/ ). Read more about the contest at http://www.assist-ministries.com/strategic/s0107004.htm

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Pray For Your Church By Dr. Dan Reiland ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: "Prayer is the key that unlocks all the storehouses of God's infinite grace and power. All that God is, and all that God has, is at the disposal of prayer." - R. A. Torrey The more I learn, know and understand about the local church - the more I think I don't know. Have you ever experienced that? For a "church expert" I can feel pretty inadequate at times, but my love and passion for the church keep me in the game...seeking, learning, and growing. Let me share what I'm learning right now. Here's what my field level experience and the voice of God are saying to me: + We have a whole lot less control over what happens in the local church than we think we do. God is in control. + Our best wisdom and natural power pales compared to God's wisdom and supernatural power. + God is calling us to a greater dependency upon Him to build His church. Don't get me wrong -- I love church stuff and always will. I love church models, ministry models, ministry strategies, leadership development, evangelism processes, and the list goes on. My life is dedicated to the improvement of these kinds of things. But a big something seems to be missing as I contact churches -- prayer. We (me too) seem to spend so much time on the run and so little on our knees. Is the answer to abandon the strategies and become monks in the desert? Of course not, but something tells me that God would open the gates of Heaven in a big way if the local churches really tapped into prayer. My visit to Seoul Korea in 1991 was life changing-well at least life impacting (I'm apparently a slow changer). I was overwhelmed with an all-night prayer service in which 25,000 people in beautiful harmony and dignified order prayed for their church and the world. It is no accident that Paul Yongi Cho's church is the largest church in the world. Numbers aren't the issue; why it's large, healthy, and growing, is the issue. There are many factors that contribute to church health and growth, but the more I see, the more I'm convinced that prayer is the key. The reason for this is simple-prayer lets God in on the process! And the process begins with you. The following is a sermon/lesson I have written. If it speaks to you, you may teach/preach it to others. _________________________________________________________________ I. Get your personal prayer life in order first. Prayer isn't easy and it doesn't come naturally to anyone. It's work. Prayer is a joyous privilege; but it's a challenge. The concerns of the world distract us from prayer. The irony is that prayer is what helps us overcome the concerns of the world. Commit yourself to sincere and earnest prayer and God will open the doors of heaven to you. This doesn't mean perfection - progress is the key. A. Overcoming common prayer hurdles. 1. Lack of consistency. This is by far the most common of the hurdles. A lack of consistency often stems from a lack of understanding of our relationship with Christ and the actual role of prayer. * God is not a cosmic slot machine. * Prayer is not like a daily vitamin. * More or less prayer doesn't make you more or less saved and loved by God. Prayer is a relationship of regular and continual communication. Understanding your relationship with Christ moves you to prayer. a. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1-2) * God, the Judge in the courtroom, pronounces us "not guilty" because of Jesus. b. God loves you unconditionally. (Ephesians 2:4-5) "God doesn't love you because you're valuable, you're valuable because God loves you." - Ian Pitt-Watson * I love my kids no matter what they do. c. God's heart is grace-oriented. Christianity is not a performance-based religion. It's not about earning spiritual brownie points with God. It is a relationship established by grace and received through faith in God through His Son, Jesus. (Ephesians 2:8-10) * Remember the story of the prodigal son? He left home, wasted his money, lived with bad character, yet his father still took him back with open arms. * School tests focus on how many answers are wrong! When a math test is returned it says: "-2" or "2 wrong." I believe it should be "+18" or "18 right"! God focuses on how many you get right. Satan focuses on how many you get wrong. The point is that while God does care about our spiritual shortcomings, He always operates out of His basic nature; love. Prayer is not a deed or a duty, but a way of life. "Prayer is the sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God through Christ in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God hath promised, or according to the Word for the good of the church, with submission and faith to the will of God." - John Bunyan 2. Lack of listening. Most of us talk more than listen when we pray! The truth is that silence begins to reveal our real self. In silence we slow down enough to see things as they really are. We begin to see ourselves as we really are in comparison to how God sees us, and this makes us uncomfortable. 3. Lack of faith. We all lack faith. It's the simple truth. If you and I really believed that Jesus could move mountains, heal the sick, and raise the dead, wouldn't we pray for more miracles? Instead - we pray for a good parking spot at the mall! Your faith may be based more on what you believe than on what God has promised. To reverse this, and believe more on the promises of God than your own finite beliefs, you must stretch your faith by trusting God completely. The good news is that it's not how much faith you have, but whom your faith is in. Jesus is the person and the power of your faith. B. Tap into the power of prayer today. * Don't wait until you have time. * Don't wait until you are more spiritual. * Don't wait until someone asks you to pray. If you are already faithful in your prayer life, ask God to lead you to a new level of prayer. If you are sporadic in your prayer life, start small and start today. Don't worry about the length of time; the Holy Spirit will take care of that as prayer becomes a habit in your life. II. Pray intentionally and strategically for the life and ministry of your church. There are six areas in the church that require prayer on a regular basis. If you faithfully and consistently pray for the following, your church will recognize powerful blessings. A. Pray for the hearts of those who are unchurched. + Pre-evangelism - Cultivation + Pray that God would speak to the hearts of people in your community who do not attend church. + Don't hesitate to pray for specific people. B. Pray for people to receive Christ as Savior. + Decision - Harvest + Pray that God would melt the hearts of those who don't know Him as their personal Savior, that they would seek a relationship with Christ, and make a decision. + Pray that your church develops a passionate heart for the lost and responds with lifestyle evangelism. By the way, prayer doesn't override action, but it is the priority. C. The Holy Spirit's power. (Acts 1:8) The Spirit of God in us, the Holy Spirit, is the power that brings all the lasting fruit or results in your church. What we can accomplish on our own is extremely limited and short-lived. + Pray for God's anointing power to energize your church for a truly eternal difference. "Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks." - Phillips Brooks D. A spirit of love and unity. Scripture calls us to both a spirit of love and a spirit of unity. One cannot exist without the other (Ephesians 4:3-5). Pray that your church remains steadfast in its commitment to love one another and actively seeks a unified spirit that pleases the Lord. Churches fuss over the dumbest things! * Whether to buy chairs or pews * What kind of computers to buy * Whether or not to sell, give away or burn the church bus Sometimes churches fight over not so dumb things: * Worship style * The pastor's leadership * New building campaign The point is, don't fuss and fight-stick together! That is the only way God can accomplish His mission through you. I can just imagine God saying to Jesus: "Son, if they'd just stop arguing long enough, I'd tell them what I want them to do." E. Maturing of the body of Christ. Praying for new people and salvation have been stated already, but what's next? Philippians 1:6 teaches us that God desires to complete the good work He began in us. So what is this completion? What does it look like? God literally calls for us to "grow up" from being children to becoming mature in our faith. * Gift-based ministry * Fruit of the Spirit * Generous financial giving * Time in the Scriptures and prayer * Lifestyle sharing of your faith with the unchurched F. The leaders in the church. Pray for the primary leaders in your church, and don't forget to pray for the pastor. Praying for the pastor is so important, and the entire issue of the next "The Pastor's Coach" is dedicated to giving you a simple plan of how to do that. I hope this personal and yet practical material is helpful to you.

A 4-year-old boy who was asked to return thanks before Christmas dinner. The family members bowed their heads in expectation. He began his prayer, thanking God for all his friends, naming them one by one. Then he thanked God for Mommy, Daddy, brother, sister, Grandma, Grandpa, and all his aunts and uncles. Then he began to thank God for the food. He gave thanks for the turkey, the dressing, the fruit salad, the cranberry sauce, the pies, the cakes, even the Cool Whip. Then he paused, and everyone waited--and waited. After a long silence, the young fellow looked up at his mother and asked, "If I thank God for the broccoli, won't he know that I'm lying?"

A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Bible class. As she ran she prayed, "Dear Lord, please don't let me be late! Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!" As she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again. As she ran she once again began to pray, "Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!...But don't shove me either." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One night Mike's parents overheard this prayer. "Now I lay me down to rest, and hope to pass tomorrow's test, If I should die before I wake, that's one less test I have to take." ------------------------------------- A little boy's prayer: "Dear God, please take care of my daddy and my mommy and my sister and my brother and my doggy and me. Oh, please take care of yourself, God. If anything happens to you, we're gonna be in a big mess." ------------------------------------ A five-year-old said grace at family dinner one night. "Dear God, thank you for these pancakes..."When he concluded, his parents asked him why he thanked God for pancakes when they were having chicken. He smiled and said, "I thought I'd see if He was paying attention tonight." -------------------------------------- Johnny had been misbehaving and was sent to his room. After a while he emerged and informed his mother that he had thought it over and then said a prayer. "Fine", said the pleased mother. "If you ask God to help you not misbehave, He will help you." "Oh, I didn't ask Him to help me not misbehave," said Johnny. "I asked Him to help you put up with me." ---------------------------------- A Sunday School teacher of preschoolers was concerned that his students might be a little confused about Jesus Christ because of the Christmas season emphasis on His birth. He wanted to make sure they understood that the birth of Jesus occurred for real. He asked his class, "Where is Jesus today?" Steven raised his hand and said, "He's in heaven." Mary was called on and answered, "He's in my heart." Little Johnny, waving his hand furiously blurted out, "I know, I know! He's in our bathroom!!! "The whole class got very quiet, looked at the teacher, and waited for a response. The teacher was completely at a loss for a few very long seconds. Finally, he gathered his wits and asked Little Johnny how he knew this. Little Johnny said, "Well...every morning, my father gets up, bangs on the bathroom door, and yells," Good Lord, are you still in there?!"

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not flunk; He keepeth me from lying down when I should be studying. He leadeth me to rivers of Mountain Dew when I need to be refreshed He restoreth my faith in study guides. He leads me to better study habits For my grade's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of borderline grades, I will not have a nervous breakdown; For thou art with me. My prayers and my friends, they comfort me. Thou givest me answers in moments of blankness; Thou anointest my head with understanding. My test paper runneth over with questions I recognize. Surely passing grades and flying colors shall follow me All the days of my examinations, And I shall not have to dwell in this university forever, Amen!

A tale is told about a small town that had historically been "dry," but then a local businessman decided to build a tavern. A group of Christians from a local church were concerned and planned an all-night prayer meeting to ask God to intervene. It just so happened that shortly thereafter lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground. The owner of the bar sued the church, claiming that the prayers of the congregation were responsible, but the church hired a lawyer to argue in court that they were not responsible. The presiding judge, after his initial review of the case, stated that "no matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear. The tavern owner believes in prayer and the Christians do not."

We implore the mercy of God, not that He may leave us at peace in our vices, but that He may deliver us from them. - Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), from Pensees (Thoughts), Part IV: 553, translated by W. F. Trotter. New York: P. F. Collier, c1910. The Harvard Classics, v. 48. from the INTERNET MODERN HISTORY SOURCEBOOK <<www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1660pascal-pensees.html>>

I think I have never heard a sermon preached on the story of Mary and Martha that did not attempt, somehow, somewhere, to explain away its text. Mary's, of course, was the better part -- the Lord said so, and we must not precisely contradict Him. But we will be careful not to despise Martha. No doubt, He approved of her, too. We could not get on without her, and indeed, having paid lip-service to God's opinion, we must admit that we greatly prefer her, for Martha was doing a really feminine job, whereas Mary was just behaving like any other disciple; and that is a hard pill to swallow.

Prayer should be short, without giving God Almighty reasons why He should grant this, or that; He knows best what is good for us. If your boy should ask you [for] a suit of clothes, and give you reasons, would you endure it? You know his needs better than he: let him ask a suit of clothes.

Anyone can lead a "prayer-life" -- that is, the sort of reasonable devotional life to which each is called by God. This only involves making a suitable rule and making up your mind to keep it however boring this may be.

Barrie tells us how, in the little house at Thrums, they used to tiptoe to and fro when his mother was upon her knees, awed by the knowledge that she was praying for them. And here and there in the Hew Testament, we blunder in on Christ and find Him on His knees; and, once at least, ere we can escape, cannot but overhear Him pleading our names. "Neither pray I for these alone," that is, for Peter and John and the rest, "but for those who will believe through them" -- that is, for you and me. Hush! the Lord Christ is praying for you! And what is it He asks for us? That we be given such a spirit of unity and brotherliness and Christlikeness that people, coming upon us, will look at us, and look again, and then from us to Jesus Christ, seeking the explanation of us there. My note on using this: have you ever overheard someone praying for you?

A 4-year-old boy who was asked to return thanks before Christmas dinner. The family members bowed their heads in expectation. He began his prayer, thanking God for all his friends, naming them one by one. Then he thanked God for Mommy, Daddy, Brother, Sister, Grandma, Grandpa, and all his aunts and uncles. Then he began to thank God for the food. He gave thanks for the turkey, the dressing, the fruit salad, the cranberry sauce, the pies, the cakes, even the Cool Whip. Then he paused, and everyone waited--and waited. After a long silence, the young fellow looked up at his mother and asked, "If I thank God for the broccoli, won't he know that I'm lying?"

Or perhaps he's like a little boy named Brian. For weeks he bugged his parents about getting a watch for Christmas. Finally his dad told him, “Brian, if you mention that watch again, you’re not going to get it. Quit bugging us!” One night Brian’s parents asked him to lead in prayer before dinner. Brian said, “I’d like to quote a Scripture verse before I pray. Mark 13:37: ‘I say unto you what I have already told you before – watch ...'”

Retired U.S. Marine Corps General Charles Krulak recounted a critical event in the Gulf War of 1991: The prevailing winds in the Gulf area blow from northeast to southwest. If you attack from the southwest, your enemy can release biological weapons into the air, and the chemicals will blow right into your face. It was a tremendous concern for the military in the southwestern desert and a grave prayer concern for many, both overseas and back home. On February 21, 1991, American forces began an attack from the southwest at four in the morning. Only three hours before, the prevailing winds had shifted from southwest to northeast, exactly 180 degrees from the direction the prevailing winds normally blow. The winds blew in that direction for four days, the four days of the duration of the war. Within thirty minutes of the surrender, the winds shifted back. That is the unbelievable power of prayer.

If Jesus spoke about money four times as often as he spoke about faith or prayer, why do Christian bookstores carry four times as many books on faith or prayer as they do on money?

"I pray that when I die, all of hell will throw a party to celebrate the fact that I'm no longer in the fight."

Missionary Gracia Burnham, who was held captive by terrorists in the Philippines for more than a year and whose husband was killed during the rescue, writes: Sometimes I wonder, Why did Martin die when everyone was praying he wouldn't? Why does Scripture lead you to believe that if you pray a certain way, you'll get what you pray for? People all over the world were praying that we'd both get out alive, but we didn't. Her questions made her realize it isn't always easy to comprehend God's nature: I used to have this concept of what God is like, and how life's supposed to be because of that. But in the jungle, I learned I don't know as much about God as I thought I did. I don't have him in a theological box anymore. What I do know is that God is God—and I'm not. The world's in a mess because of sin, not God. Some awful things may happen to me, but God does what is right. And he makes good out of bad situations:

hey, many have reciprocated my last informative note. kinda want details... thusly, will give a truncated version that will suffice. 6 yrs ago we (linda and moi) built our house (of houses). many of yall ( or you guys) have been guests, yes? so...you are "in the know". well, about 3 months ago.... a confidant of ours visited us apres' church on a sunday. stayed the afternoon- conversing about everything under the sun (and above it). he stated -when praying for linda- he saw linda as a 25 yr old girl on an island in the S. Pacific.... God wanted her to recapture that time of incredible faith... when she scoured the world as a single girl. he told us- God wanted us out of "our" house... in order to position us. well, "isaac" had been previously on the altar (to no avail). the next morning, linda started cleaning closets in faith. that night (monday) she prayed. as i retired, she asked for my assistance in prayer.... i inquired of God to speak to us supernaturally- as in a dream. that friday- linda called me. she wanted to buy a ticket to help the st. jude cause (cancer research in memphis). prizes are given- the grand prize is a house. it is a cumulative effort by contractors across the city. the drawing occurred sunday afternoon on local tv. linda won. the ratio: one to 11,000. $100 ticket. afterwards she informed me- the night we prayed she dreamt. God told her she would win a house. she did not know of any such house save the st. jude house. she did not know if the drawing had in fact taken place. "everyone in lafayette knows about the effort." so- she went by the house to see if the drawing was over. she had about 4 days left. she prayed over the house fully confident in what was revealed to her. also, she was a bit anxious. friday before sunday she purchased a ticket. she drove haley (our 12 yr. old) to the house and -again- prayed. sunday, after the drawing she told me of the dream!! wow, a trip, no? 5 days later i get a call. an african-american lady was on the line. she told me her name and where she attended church. she had been interceeding for the house during construction. she- during prayer- asked the Lord if He would give it to her. He replied the house was for a minister, his wife, and 2 kids. copesetic, man... we, as of now, have moved. our house sold exactly 7 weeks to the hour. ministry is now afforded. and feasible. linda and i, conjunctively, are serving and discipling kids via the ministry of master's commission. if you (and you do) know us- that is our... well, better put: that is jimmy and linda.

The Study Prayer Now I lay me down to study I pray the Lord I won't go nutty If I should fail to learn this junk I pray the Lord I will not flunk But if I do, don't pity me at all Just lay my bones in the study hall Tell my teacher I did my best Then pile my books upon my chest Now I lay me down to rest If I should die before I wake That's one less test I'll have to take

“I thought prayer was only for athletes and Grammy winners.” Homer Simpson

This week, if you believe in all the opinion surveys, more of us will pray than will go to work, or exercise, or have sexual relations. According to the recent studies at NORC, a research center, by Andrew Me. Greeley, the sociologist-novelist-priest, more than three quarters (78 percent) of all Americans pray at least once a week; more than half 57% report praying at least once a day. Indeed, Greeley finds that even among the 13 percent of Americans who are atheists or agnostics, nearly one in five still prays daily." "The current edition of Books in Print lists nearly two thousand titles on prayer, meditations, and techniques for spiritual growth—more than three times the number devoted to sexual intimacy and how to achieve it." (Newsweek, January 6, 1992)

A priest, a minister and a guru sat discussing the best positions for prayer while a telephone repairman worked nearby. "Kneeling is definitely the best way to pray," the priest said. "No," said the minister. "I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven." "You're both wrong," the guru said. "The most effective prayer position is lying down on the floor." The repairman could contain himself no longer. "Hey, fellas," he interrupted, "The best prayin' I ever did was when I was hangin' upside down from a telephone pole."

He that serves God for money will serve the Devil for better wages.

Our worst sin is prayerlessness, because of what it says about who we really think is in charge of the church and the universe. God save us from the people who would renew the church and bring justice in the world without praying. Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power, they are more dangerous than the wrongs they would set right. They will replace old evils with new evils, themselves.

God has instituted prayer so as to confer upon his creatures the dignity of being causes. -- Blaise Pascal

It is men’s ignorance of themselves that makes prayer little in request: Hunger best teaches men to beg. You would be oftener on your knees, if you were oftener in your hearts. Prayer would not seem so needless, if you knew your needs. Know your needs, and be prayerless if you can. Françios Fénalon

People ask me what advice I have for a married couple struggling in their relationship. I always answer: pray and forgive. And to young people from violent homes, I say: pray and forgive. And again, even to the single mother with no family support: pray and forgive.

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/041011/w101198.html Washington state teen found alive in wrecked car 8 days after crash 06:09 PM EDT Oct 14 2004 MELANTHIA MITCHELL SEATTLE (AP) - After eight days, Laura Hatch's family had almost given the 17-year-old up for dead, and sheriff's deputies had all but written her off as a runaway. Then she was found, badly hurt and severely dehydrated, but alive and conscious, in the back seat of a crumpled car, 60 metres down a ravine. A volunteer searcher who said she had had several vivid dreams of a wooded area found the wrecked car in the trees Sunday. Hatch, who remained hospitalized Monday in serious condition, was last seen at a party Oct. 2. When she did not show up by the next day, her family filed a missing person's report. The initial search was slowed because there had been underage drinking at the party, and the young people who attended would not say where it had been held, sheriff's Sgt. John Urquhart said. On Oct. 6, detectives learned the party had been in a neighbourhood east of Lake Washington and searched along her likely route home, Urquhart said. But prospects dimmed as the days passed. "We had already given her up and let her be dead in our hearts," her mother, Jean Hatch, told KOMO-TV. Urquhart noted that in 24 years with the department, he had never known of a person to survive eight days without food or water. He said an investigation into the accident was underway. During the search, a statewide bulletin was released and advisories were sent to local police agencies. But Urquhart said family and friends indicated "the most likely scenario was that she was a runaway." Hatch's parents organized a volunteer search Saturday, and that night Sha Nohr, a church member and mother of a friend of Hatch's, said she had dreams of a wooded area and heard the message, "Keep going, keep going." On Sunday morning, Nohr and her daughter drove to the area where the crash occurred, praying along the way. "I just thought, 'Let her speak out to us,' " Nohr told the Seattle Times. Nohr said something drew her to stop and clamber over a concrete barrier and more than 30 metres down a steep, densely vegetated embankment where she barely managed to discern the wrecked Toyota Camry in some trees. She called to her daughter, who flagged down a passing motorist. The man helped Nohr get closer to the car as aid was summoned. "I told her that people were looking for her and they loved her," Nohr recalled, "and she said, 'I think I might be late for curfew.' " Hatch was being treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for dehydration, a blood clot on the brain, and broken bones in her face, hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg-Hanson said. The teen's doctor said Hatch's dehydration contributed to her survival by keeping a blood clot caused by the crash from expanding in her brain. Dr. Richard Ellenbogen said Hatch was disoriented, thinking only a day had passed, but he said she was "in amazing shape for someone lost for eight days." Ellenbogen said doctors were rehydrating Hatch and carefully monitoring her condition. "This is a good story. We're hoping it has a really happy ending," he said. A call Monday to the family home in Redmond was answered by one of Hatch's sisters, who declined comment. "We were afraid that we weren't going to find her, we weren't going to get her back," Hatch's other sister, Amy, told KING-TV in Seattle. "This is the best thing that could happen because there were a million awful scenarios."

One of my favorite stories is of Teresa of Avila. She's sitting in the kitchen with a roasted chicken. And she's got it with both hands, and she's gnawing on it, just devouring this chicken. One of the nuns comes in shocked that she's doing this, behaving this way. She said, "When I eat chicken, I eat chicken; when I pray, I pray."

When we see a crane or heron standing motionless on the shore of a lake or pond, we might think it is meditating on the beauty of the water. But this is not so! The bird stands there for hours without moving, but as soon as it sees a frog or small fish, it darts forward and greedily snatches it. Many people have the same approach to prayer and meditation. Seated on the shore of the boundless ocean of God's love, they actually give no thought to his majesty or to the divine grace that cleanses us from sin and satisfies the hungry soul. Instead, they are consumed by the thought of receiving something for themselves, some morsel to gratify their self-indulgence. Having visited the very source of true peace and bliss, they fail to appreciate it and instead give themselves to fleeting pleasures. The essence of prayer does not consist in asking for things, but in opening one's heart to God.

Pray For the Preacher

As a rule, I believe congregations get out of a minister what they put into him; that is to say, if they pray much for him, God will give him much blessing for them.