Prayer: The Most You Can Do

by Pastor Steve Purdy

[Preached November 6, 2011; Based on Nehemiah 2: 1-5 and Romans 12: 1]

 

I remember during our first year of marriage, I worked as a respiratory therapist at Memorial Medical Center, Corpus Christi.  I may have already told you guys this, but it was at this time that I began to struggle with the call to ministry and considered attending seminary. When we finally decided that we would move to Kentucky so I could begin classes, I received a call from a former boss at Citizen’s Medical Center, Victoria. Glen had also decided to return to graduate school and so, he wanted to recommend me to be the new Director in his place.  Now, this was an attractive offer:

 

1)        There was no one I respected more as a respiratory therapist, so this was quite a stroke to my ego.

2)        This hospital, Citizen’s in Victoria, was my favorite place to work to that point and it was in my hometown.

3)        The salary was significantly above what I was making at that time and so, if I accepted it, we could probably buy a house… start a family…

 

The only problem was, we had just sensed that it was God’s will for us to “leave everything” to go to seminary. As Vickie and I prayed about it, we believed it was merely “one last test to see if we were serious about following where God was leading.”  Did we really want to serve Christ more than anything else?  After all, I could continue being a Christian disciple as a respiratory therapist, couldn’t I? Of course!

 

When God calls, when we hear that God has a wonderful plan for our lives… we have to decide, are we interested?  When we say “yes,” our response is tested.  Praying about major decisions is the most natural thing to do, and yet praying about the options when we have already made up our minds is really challenging. Whenever we want to go one direction, but it seems that God wants us to go a different direction, our heart becomes a spiritual battlefield.

 

Sometimes praying come naturally, but at other times, prayer is work!  Jack Taylor put it this way:

I find it easier to preach on prayer--than to pray.

I find it easier to write on prayer--than to pray.

I find it easier to talk about Jesus--than to pray.

I find anything I do in my Christian life easier than praying.

Have you ever found prayer to be work?  Sometimes just finding time to pray is challenging… we are so busy!  How can we take time to pray?  Perhaps Martin Luther had the right insight when he wrote, "I have so many things to do today--I dare not ignore my time with God." Luther spent an average of three hours in prayer each day and he accomplished more for the faith than most.

Nehemiah was a cupbearer who tasted the king’s wine and guarded his sleeping quarters.

When Nehemiah heard that the condition of his beloved city, Jerusalem, was in terrible condition and the walls were in a shambles, he cried, he prayed, and he fasted - perhaps up to four months. He acknowledged God’s greatness, reminded God of his covenant with Israel, and included himself in Israel’s sins.

 

Nehemiah continued to fulfill his job responsibilities – faithfully, prayerfully, and thoughtfully. Nehemiah laid out a series of spiritual principles and the Restore – Renew – Revive Capital Maintenance Campaign continues in the Nehemiah prayer tradition. Many of our members climbed on board as we compiled a devotional guide, will carry out a prayer walk for today after the 10:30 services, and are planning a Big Event – a combined worship service next week in the sanctuary at 10 A.M. (What time is worship next week?) when we will consecrate the renovated facilities and then have a huge meal together! Can’t be much more spiritual than that – can you? Actually, our children’s choir will also be singing.

 

I trust that your enthusiasm is also increasing as you are praying for God’s will for our church and how you can help that happen. What is God’s will for you and your family as you participate in this exciting capital campaign? Remember that the renovation of the facilities is important but the ultimate goal is the spiritual revival of God’s people. “Lord, have your way in us – all of us, that we may reach out in Christ’s name to the entire world!”

 

Prayer and action must work hand in hand. Prayer without action causes me to be an introverted monastic and action without prayer leads me to detour after detour without the bearing of spiritual fruit. What happens in your life when you separate prayer/action?

 

Today mark’s the third of five Sundays in our Capital Campaign. It’s often more difficult to complete the second half of a task than the first.  There is a natural tendency to start strong and lose momentum, especially if we’re putting out a lot of energy.

 

Prayer is important in changing the world, but it is not a substitute for our effort.  As John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress wrote, “You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” (John Bunyan)

• Students need to pray and study... ever notice they have the same root – student and study?
• Emergency Medical Technicians approaching a car accident ought to pray, but they still need to get out of the ambulance to help the victims.

 

Have I mentioned that prayer is hard work? Prayer is like the movement of the windshield wipers across the car’s window.  However, having liquid in your reservoir certainly helps effectiveness. Charles Allen wrote, “God makes the sun to shine, but if the window in our house is dirty, God will not make the sun come through. The darkness in your room may not be a cause for asking God to make the sun shine brighter. Rather it may be a cause for you to wash your windows.” (The Charles L. Allen Treasury, 116) Or, in the case of our sanctuary… to replace the protective coverings on the stained glass windows… sure makes a difference, doesn’t it!

In the spiritual realm, the greatest force is prayer. It is hard work, but prayer is only the most we can do when we actually pray.

Benediction: Corrie Ten Boom asked, “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?”  Do you need prayer every time you go anywhere, as with a steering wheel… or just every once in a while when life gives you a flat tire?  Is prayer the most you can do? Only if you pray!