A Call To Active Prayer!

I am calling for a demonstration of prayer this morning.  I am not talking about the popular trend to “tell God” what needs to be done.  I am certainly not talking about  organizing large groups of people to gather to pray for change once or twice a year.  Often those types of events turn into a major display of popular speakers and a lot of showmanship.  That ultimately are followed with a request for money.  That kind of prayer gathering, breakfast, lunch or dinner, has always come across as fake to me.  I think that they are often meant to be honorable.  But it never seems that way to me.

I’m talking about a private commitment to say a prayer for God's help every time you watch the nightly new!  Or read the headlines in the newspaper!  Or whenever you see, hear or experience behavior that is not acceptable to Jesus. 

You see, I’m thinking, that the everyday ordinary Christian, who loves Jesus, and wants to live his way of servanthood, love and forgiveness.   Feel that they are helpless to contend with the narcissistic political structure that has evolved in our country.  A system that has become so opposite of Jesus that it is sickening.  The feeling of "who are we to change, or challenge, such power?" 

Jesus often did it this way: 35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. He also prayed publicly by offering the need, at any-given moment, to God.  Like he did when he fed thousands with a few fish and a small amount of bread. Or when he hung on the Cross and prayed right out loud: “Father forgive them they know not what they do.”

Read the rest of the Mark story below.  Jesus had an extraordinarily busy day and night.  His mind, and body, must have been exhausted.  He needed to go talk to God — to himself — about the need to take a time-out now and then. I imagine that these time-outs were the way he had of reconnecting.  Reconnecting with who he was and why he came to live  on this crazy earth.  A place so opposite!  So opposite, of what He ever intended!   

We are asked to live in the same crazy world too!  Living and praying with Jesus!

I am here to tell you that prayer works!  I do believe that God listens!  And I am convinced that God, as invisible as it seems to us, is actively working against the unjust politics all over the world.  So, it might be nice for him to know that He is not alone in the battle.  That his followers are with Him.  And, if need be, with Him in more than just prayer.  

Having said that, I am not at all sure how that might look on a larger scale.   But I am sure that if God wants us to act; that we will know how to do what ever He asks!  We actually already do that on a smaller scale everyday.  Whenever we are kind, or move over so someone can pass, or give food or clothing to the hungry and homeless etc!  And that is all wonderful!  

However there is another huge — actually tragic — situation going on in our world today among the powerful!  And it has gotten way out of line with Jesus’ call to follow him.  This appalling situation has to do with what I talked about yesterday.  We have a huge choice to make!  Not the choice to believe.  Thats not the issue!  The choice is to act on, and be faithful to, what we believe.

Maybe a better way to say it is, we need to begin believe that God is quite capable to handle what we cannot!   And!  And, God will do it in his time and in his way!  But that does not mean that God doesn’t need our prayers, attention and yes action.

27 They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." 28 At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee. 29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. 32 That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34 And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. 35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37 When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." 38 He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." 39 And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. (Mark 1:27-39)