I love the story about the community that found itself in need of rain. The drought they were experiencing had continued for what seemed an eternity, and the small community of farmers was in a quandary as to what to do. Rain was important to keep their crops healthy and sustain the townspeople's way of life.
As the problem became more acute, a local pastor called a prayer meeting to ask for rain. Many people arrived at the church to pray for the needed rain. The pastor greeted most of them as they filed in.
As he walked to the front of the church to officially begin the meeting he noticed most people were chatting across the aisles and socializing with friends. When he reached the front his thoughts were on quieting the attendees and starting the meeting.
His eyes scanned the crowd as he asked for quiet. He noticed an eleven year-old girl sitting quietly in the front row. Her face was beaming with excitement. Next to her, open and ready for use, was a very colorful and extremely large umbrella, much bigger than her in fact.
The little girl's beauty and innocence made the pastor smile as he realized how much faith she possessed. No one else in the congregation had brought an umbrella. All had come to pray for rain. But the little girl alone had come expecting God to answer!
In the New Testament, the Apostle James cautions us about approaching prayer half-heartedly. In his General Epistle (chapter 4, verses 2-3), he writes: “Ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss…”
Perhaps James is reminding us that prayer is the ability to have a personal conversation with the God of the universe; and we should not only take advantage of the opportunity to do so, but also undertake to do it with intentionality and conviction.
After all, prayer is communicating with God. This means that prayer is not just talking to God or asking for things. Prayer is also listening for answers and expecting them to be provided!
STORY SOURCE: Available widely on the internet. See, for instance: https://www.atimetolaugh.org/umbrella.html.
SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/kjv/james/4.htm.
As the problem became more acute, a local pastor called a prayer meeting to ask for rain. Many people arrived at the church to pray for the needed rain. The pastor greeted most of them as they filed in.
As he walked to the front of the church to officially begin the meeting he noticed most people were chatting across the aisles and socializing with friends. When he reached the front his thoughts were on quieting the attendees and starting the meeting.
His eyes scanned the crowd as he asked for quiet. He noticed an eleven year-old girl sitting quietly in the front row. Her face was beaming with excitement. Next to her, open and ready for use, was a very colorful and extremely large umbrella, much bigger than her in fact.
The little girl's beauty and innocence made the pastor smile as he realized how much faith she possessed. No one else in the congregation had brought an umbrella. All had come to pray for rain. But the little girl alone had come expecting God to answer!
In the New Testament, the Apostle James cautions us about approaching prayer half-heartedly. In his General Epistle (chapter 4, verses 2-3), he writes: “Ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss…”
Perhaps James is reminding us that prayer is the ability to have a personal conversation with the God of the universe; and we should not only take advantage of the opportunity to do so, but also undertake to do it with intentionality and conviction.
After all, prayer is communicating with God. This means that prayer is not just talking to God or asking for things. Prayer is also listening for answers and expecting them to be provided!
STORY SOURCE: Available widely on the internet. See, for instance: https://www.atimetolaugh.org/umbrella.html.
SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/kjv/james/4.htm.