Its pleasantly relaxing to sit around a campfire and listen to the crackle of burning wood. I enjoy the smell of wood smoke, as long as its not in my eyes. I think most men find that calming and enjoyable.
I’ve noticed a strange thing happen in wood fires, though. On occasion, an eerie whistle may come from the depths of an inflamed timber. It can sound like a chirping bird, although no birds chirp in the dark. Where does that pleasant sound come from? Is it the echo of songbirds from long ago when that tree was a sapling?
No, we understand that the sound comes from escaping gases from deep within the wood itself. Yet, there may be a great spiritual lesson for each of us in that whistling sound. Perhaps it should remind us that in troubled times in our lives there should always be a song in our hearts. As a matter of fact, there has been no sweeter sound to God than my hurting heart’s cry to Him. It may sound sadistic, but God loves to hear our outcry to Him in times of trouble. And that broken cry for help moves His heart to respond.
Tags: fire, prayer, trials, trouble
People wait all year long for the county fair. Then, when it finally gets here, it rains all week! Kids that want to socialize, play the games and ride the rides either stay home or get soaked. The horse and pony competitions get stuck in the mud. What possible plan could God have for all this rain just as harvest season opens?
Perhaps the rain will drive people into the Industrial Tent where they will pass by the ‘Free Prayer’ booth and God will deal with their hearts. One person walked past and then stopped, looking back at the booth. “Can we pray with you about something?” asked the attendant. “No,” he replied as he walked on, “but I’ll be back.” We can only wonder what was going on in his mind at that point.
Another guy announced himself as an atheist and proceeded to debunk our idea of answered prayer. But he handed his business card to the attendant. I wonder what he thought the prayer booth attendant was going to do with that card?
Continue to pray this week as we see God’s still small voice speak to people where they are.
Tags: evangelism, Holy Spirit, prayer
Last night I attended the National Day of Prayer Rally at the Butler Elementary School. I was assigned to lead a prayer for the military. Many other ministers and dignitaries were also invited to lead prayer for other civic and religious themes, so it was a community event.
I shared that our military has always been about transporting freedom and democracy to other cultures. Many lives have been sacrificed to carry that message overseas. We need to pray for our brave men and women in uniform that they will be protected, vigilant, and successful in their efforts to uproot evil and tyranny.
The death of Osama bin Laden, which we hail as a victory, does not make the world a safer place. Others will rise up to take his place. Vengeance has already been threatened, and will surely be attempted. The world will never be a truly safer place until Jesus Christ comes back, which is imminent.
Take one minute right now and pray for our military. God bless the USA.
Tags: military, patriotism, prayer
A few closing thoughts on the topic of prayer:
Mother Theresa was asked, “What are the sources of your strength?” She replied, “A 98-year old woman in Philadelphia who prays for me.”
Martin Luther once said, enjoying a meal: “If I could only watch and pray like that dog watches my meat.”
Please comment to this blog and finish this sentence: “When it comes to prayer, I…
Tags: Luther, Mother Theresa, prayer
Christine Fodera attends a Catholic Church in Louisville, Kentucky. She told the following true story: “Our priest had asked my husband, Sam, to do some rewiring in the confessionals.
“The only way to reach the wiring was to enter the attic above the altar and crawl over the ceiling by balancing on the rafters. Concerned for my husband’s safety, I waited in a pew.
“Unknown to me, some other parishioners were congregating in the vestibule. They paid little attention to me, probably assuming I was praying. Worried about my husband, I looked up toward the ceiling and yelled, “Sam, Sam – are you up there? Did you make it okay?”
There was quite an outburst from the vestibule when Sam’s hearty voice echoed down, “Yes, I made it up here just fine!”
Tags: Catholic, heaven, humor, prayer
There was a small Kentucky town that had two churches and one whiskey distillery. Members of both churches complained that the distillery gave the community a bad image. On top of this the owner of the distillery was an atheist. They tried to shut down the place but were unsuccessful.
At last they decided to hold a joint Saturday night prayer meeting. They would ask God to intervene. Saturday night came and all through the prayer meeting a terrible electrical storm raged. To the delight of the church members lightning struck the distillery and it burned to the ground.
Next morning, the sermons in both churches were on “The Power of Prayer”. Fire insurance adjusters promptly notified the distillery owner they would not pay for his damages. The fire was caused by an “act of God” and was excluded in the policy. Whereupon the distillery owner sued all the church members, claiming they had conspired with God to destroy his building. The defendants denied absolutely that they had done anything to cause the fire.
The trial judge observed: “I find one thing about this case that is very perplexing. We have a situation where the plaintiff – an atheist – is professing his belief in the power of prayer, and the defendants – and church members – are denying the power of prayer.
Tags: belief, court, prayer
American journalist and public commentator Bill Moyers served as White House press Secretary for President Lyndon B. Johnson from 1965-1967. On a certain occasion, Moyers, who also was an ordained minister, was asked to say grace before a meal in the family quarters of the White House.
Moyers, usually rather quiet and softspoken, began praying softly. President Johnson, usually loud, confident, and assertive, interrupted him with “Speak up, Bill! Speak up!”
The former Baptist minister from east Texas stopped in mid-sentence and without looking up replied steadily, “I wasn’t addressing you, Mr. President.”
Tags: Johnson, prayer, quiet