Sunday, November 8, 2015

HOW MUCH DOES A PRAYER WEIGH? (A Continuation)

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The sermons found on this blog are selected sermons preached by Rev. Wyrick during a ministry of over 50 years.  This syndicated columnist/minister thanks you for visiting.

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When the Prodigal sons rooming arrangements had been reduced to an overnight stay with a swine population he decided it is time to return to the house of his father.  In the 15th Chapter of the book of Luke, the home-coming is described as follows, “His father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” 

This is you and I, sometimes prodigals wandering and then wandering some more.  And finally aprayer?  Here am I, Lord.  I may have wandered but I have returned.

And then...

I sought the Lord and afterwards I knew

he moved my soul to seek him, seeking me. 

Twas not I who found, oh Savior true…

no I was found by thee.

John Ruskin, an 19th century English author and art critic, would sometimes agree to take a new art student, but before he ever had him paint a scene or even draw a line, he would have him take an opal and study its coloring from every possible angle until he knew it by heart.

At another school for modern art, the student is closed up in a room containing nothing but paintings of a certain style.  In this isolation with and concentration, the student learns more about this method than through a dozen lectures.

Would you learn how to pray?  Then, in the manner of these art students, take some time to think on it and about it, to concentrate and focus and then, do it.  “For as a man thinketh, so is he.” reads a portion of the book of Proverbs.

And some of you may at this moment be thinking, “But I can’t concentrate on anything for very long, let alone God.”  And I would reply, “Don’t try to climb a mountain until you have learned how to conquer a hill.” 

Think on God for a moment and then take another moment to pray a moment’s prayer.  Eventually expand the process until the prayer practice is a minute long and then a minute longer and then another minute as well.  Growing slowly but surely.

Enlarge your capacity for things of the spirit by decreasing your capacity for things less worthy of your time.  No one is asking you to be a saint…just for some improvement, beginning to form the habit of changing some of your habits.

Soren Kierkegaard, mystic and philosopher, in his classic devotional entitled “Purity in Heart” made a startling suggestion.  He said that every worship service is a drama witnessed by an audience of one, and that one is God.  The sanctuary is the stage, the minister is the prompter, and the congregation is the cast. The sermon and scripture are instruction on how we should act and God watches to see how well His people take their cues. 

What was it William Shakespeare wrote in his play, As You Like It, that “All the world’s a stage…”

A man who walks with God and talks with God has something and is someone he could never achieve in any other way.  “Take it to the Lord in prayer” is not just a hymn. It is one of the great logics of time and eternity. 

The late Peter Marshall, minister and preacher of great excellence once called prayer “dangerous business.”  And he was right.  Oh, how right he was.

Examine closely each prayer you pray.  If you ask, “God, make me to love my enemies” imagine God answering back, “Alright, I’ll call your bluff, I want you to invite Mr. and Mrs. Smith for dinner Wednesday night.” 

Now what do you say? “But God, you don’t really mean that do you.  I mean after what they said and what they did to me.  To be honest, I don’t like Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” And God answering back, “I didn’t pray the prayer, you did.”

Or you pray, “God, take from me my sin.”  And God hearing and answering; and you later saying, “But God, I didn’t mean that sin.”

Yes, praying is dangerous business.
 
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·         Here Comes Summer (July 2012)
·         Spring (May 2012)
·         Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow (April 2012)
·         Wayward and Windy (April 2012)
 
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