“Who wants to say grace?”
When my kids were growing up, that question was asked before every meal. Someone was going to pray, it was just a matter of who. Then whomever drew the short straw, so to speak, said grace. Kim or I always enforced this, not because “grace” magically made our food taste better or easier to digest or full of more nutrients, but because it meant that at least twice a day (dinner and bed time) our kids would either hear Mom and Dad praying, or they would be praying themselves.
Christians are supposed to pray, right? We pray for everything. We pray to “bless” our food. We pray for “traveling mercies.” We pray “hedges of protection” (whatever those are). We pray for healing and provision, but we also pray for our favorite football team to win. We pray for missionaries and victims of disasters, but we also pray for all the lights to be green on the way to work. But why? Why do we do that?
Does the stuff we say between the words “Dear Heavenly Father” and the words “In Jesus name, amen” have more power than the stuff we say when we’re swearing out the guy who just cut us off on the interstate?
Do our words move God? Can we get him to change his mind if we pray hard enough? And if not, is prayer just a waste of time?
Why do we pray? What’s it for? What does it accomplish? What’s the point?
These are really good questions. And for the next five weeks, we’re going to take a serious stab at answering them.
Join us this coming Sunday, November 29, 3:30 p.m., to learn more about prayer as we go verse by verse through “The Lord’s Prayer.” (See Matthew 5:8-13)
This week’s message: HEAVEN.
See you Sunday!
Pastor Ed
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