“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” Romans 8:26

Have you ever had so much going on in life that prayer just seems like it would get in the way? Maybe you know you ought to stop and pray but you don’t, because you are not quite sure what to pray for. The apostle Paul shares in his letter to Romans that in our weakness the Holy Spirit intercedes when we are not capable of praying as we ought to. Prayer should be one of the easiest things we do all day, yet it is probably one of the most neglected. Why?

I believe it comes down to how we answer these three questions:

• Can I do it? – Do you have a tough time praying? Do you struggle to find the words to say? This reminds me of a joke I recently heard. A mother invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, “Would you like to say the blessing?” “I wouldn’t know what to say,” the girl replied. “Just say what you hear Mommy say,” the mom answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, “Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?” Prayer is our conversation with God, saying what is on our hearts is what truly matters. You don’t have to find eloquent words or even some highly structure form. Just take a moment and have a conversation with God.
• Is it worth it and what will it cost me? – Worth is defined as value equivalent to what is spent. Out of the 15 plus hours we are awake how much of that do you spend praying to God? Is what God has given to you worth your time spent in prayer? It will cost your time and yes many of us find that we don’t have much time to spare, but remember today is a gift from God and tomorrow is never promised. Spend you time in what provides the greatest of value.
• Does it work? – Here is the real question that we need to ask ourselves. Do we truly believe prayer works and what do we mean by it working? For years a mother had kept her “daily appointment with God.” Then her 10-year-old son was hit by a car. After hanging on for two weeks, he died. Now she says, “What’s the use of praying? I prayed harder in those two weeks than in my whole life, but Timmy still died!” The mother no longer has confidence that prayer makes a difference. Her outcome expectations have been shaken. She knows how to pray but expects nothing to come from it. How can she be helped? Since her prayer problems center on expectations, she needs guidance to see if what she expects prayer to accomplish is realistic and biblical. She might find, for example, that she has taken one aspect of prayer, petition, and isolated it from others, such as submission, intimacy, and comfort (as in Jesus’ prayer in the Garden).

I believe the last question is best answered with a promise. Not from me of course, since I am but human and we make mistakes, but from God. This Sunday (August 6th, 2017) join us in hearing how God’s promise to us is what will keep us going even in the most dire of situations.

In God’s grip,

Rev. Chuck Church

Lead Pastor

Cornerstone UMC