This is one of my favorite proverbs and it has transformed the way I view prayer. The main idea conveyed in the proverb is that we should be men and women of both prayer and action: simultaneously.
It seems to me that too many in the Christian community are either one or the other. There's the, "I'll be in my prayer closet praying ... till Jesus returns girl." And then there is, "I just served at the soup kitchen-went on a mission trip-healed a lepar-cut the grass at my church guy."
In Skye Jethani's book, "With" there is a telling account of the Rev. Billy Graham.
In 1982 the today show scheduled an interview with the Rev. Billy Graham. When he arrived at the studio, the producers informed Graham's assistant that there was a room that had been set aside for him to pray before the broadcast. Graham's assistant thanked the producer, but told him that the room would be unnecessary. The producer was taken back due to Graham's rejection of the prayer room. Then, Mr. Graham's assistant informed the producer that, "Mr. Graham started praying when he got up this morning, he prayed while eating breakfast, he prayed on the way over in the car, and he'll probably be praying all the way through the interview." This, I believe embodies the African proverb perfectly.
This is also a Biblical concept too. The Apostle Paul instructs believers to, "pray without ceasing" which basically means that we are to commune with God throughout the course of our day. Hear this clearly, I am not discounting prayer in secret, (there is a time for this) rather I am calling you out of your closet into a state of action. The great American, Frederick Douglass said, "God never answered a single prayer of mine until I started praying with my legs."
Reflect:
Do you need to close the door of your prayer closet, get out there and put your faith to work?
Or
Do you need to add a vertical dimension to your actions by communing with God in the midst of your day?
Like what you read? Share it on FB!
No comments:
Post a Comment