Importunity in Prayer

IMPORTUNITY IN PRAYER

I am learning so much on this journey in prayer. Here is a great poem written my by childhood pastor:

When you take the time to pray,
Do you only think of the words you say?
Do you think of bowing you head,
Or kneel when your words are said?

Do you think of God’s great power
When you pray for half an hour?
Do you contemplate God’s great plan
Or of the littleness of man?

How long will you make petition,
In an attitude of calm contrition?
Should God refuse to do your will.
How would His refusal make you feel?

Should He tarry for a year or two
Until you don’t know what to do,
Will you give up and cease to implore
When your little reserve is no more?

Suppose that after all the church is saying
You find no results in all of your praying.
If those who mock and challenge your Lord
As is recorded in God’s Holy Word,

Will you trust Him -- should He slay you?
Will you stop because He did not obey you?
In God’s word you will find a sample,
God’s Own Son set the example.

Night and day He spent in prayer.
For His own He had great care.
Then when His will was that of a mortal
He pounded hard on Heaven’s portal!

The Father answered as He refused the request
Again and again He did His very best
To bring God’s will in conformity with His own
As He sweat, and wept, and prayed alone!

Now how did it end, that Garden’s battle
When the throne of God did rattle?
Christ’s will unchanged He ended that sad day
When the Son of God LEARNED TO OBEY!

So take the time to approach God’s throne
With His Holy Spirit you will not be alone.
Linger long in His presence each and every day
Until you learn the meaning of what it is to PRAY!
June 28, 2004 gvansandt@yahoo.com -- Pastor Van is a friend of America's KESWICK and is serving as Campus Pastor this summer during our Victory Weeks.

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 2; Psalms 60-62; Romans 5

Dig This Quote: Revival will bring joy to joyless people, peace in the midst of stressful times, and hope in the midst of a hopeless situation. -- Michael Catt

Determined Digging: Level 1:Isaiah 53:6; Level 2: Psalm 103:11-14

Determined Praying: If it's big enough to worry about, it's big enough to pray about!

Join us this week at America's KESWICK as Dr. Dave Epstein and Dr. Roger Willmore share God's Word from the pulpit of America's KESWICK. You can watch live: www.americaskeswick.org