The Possibility Prayer Creates.

My tired body, and mind, is sitting here altogether, listing to the traffic outside my patio door, thinking about life!  Kinda of a heavy subject for a sunny morning.  

What I am actually tugged about is what is going on outside my little experience of life.  About what is happening on the whole-wide-world-scene.  More specifically, what our leadership is entering into with Russia.

Now I must, be honest enough to, admit that if I thought all of this smily, shaking hands in front of TV cameras was real progress in the reconciliation of two historically opposite political agendas.  I would actually be pleased with what might be going on behind those famous closed-door-talks.  

However my gut tells me that this entire venture will not lead to a positive move toward world peace.  

My mind goes to what Jesus said, so long ago, when life was so much more uncomplicated:

42 Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. 43 "You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. (Matt. 5)

And I hear you asking: Really?  Really?  Does that mean_________?  

Does that mean that I am suppose to pray for our crazy neighbor who is so hateful and annoying? 

Or my co-worker who is constantly trying to stab me in the back?

Or the drug dealers that are out to destroy kids live for that almighty buck?

Or our world and national leader who are holding the people they govern captive to their poorly thought out decisions? 

Really?

Then came this interruption: 

A Country Western song just came to mind, it came out about seven years ago.  It is about a young man who had been to church one Sunday morning; and he heard the Pastor talk about the need to pray for everyone.  Well, apparently the young man had just had a nasty break up with his girl friend.  He was having a difficult time imagining why, or how,  he would prayer for someone like her.  However, as the song goes on he's begins expresses how he did actually pray.  The things he began to pray for her were, to say the least, uncomplimentary and actually dangerous. Like her car breaks failing or a flower pot landing on her head.

As I drove along listening to this song for the first time I actually had a smile on my face.  Not because I agreed with the song, but because it was so very real — so very human.  Human, that is, in his very honest tug-of-war about praying for those we don’t like. 

The song writer could have heard a sermon on the Matthew 5 Gospel that morning as he sat in church.  He also could have heard the preacher talking about how the Apostle Paul approached prayer: 

 The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. 2 Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. 3 This is the way our Savior God wants us to live. 4 He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: 5 that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us - Jesus, 6 who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out.(1Timothy 2) 

So then, I have to wonder.  What does Paul - or Jesus —  exactly mean by asking us to pray for everyone — even our so-called-enemies?

And, more to the point, how do we honestly pray for someone we think ill of?

How is it we pray for everyone?  And why is it so necessary?  

Why is it so important to pray for someone who is unkind, or mean, or unethical, or attempts to destroy hundreds — or thousands — of live in a moment of terror?

What can be the point of such prayer?

The answer?  

                  The possibility of world Peace.  

                      Or, on a smaller, scale national peace. 

                           Or an even smaller scale peace within a family.

I am thinking that the thing we tend to forget; when we find ourselves on the other side of something,  say an argument, or a war between nations, or a family conflict, or a national election is that Jesus ransomed himself “for all”  — everyone.  

And Paul tells us that God want everyone to live and come to the knowledge of the truth. Everyone!  No exceptions!

Think about it this way:  Maybe if we prayed regularly for our national and world leaders, they would begin to make better decisions. 

Or if we prayed regularly for those we disagree with; maybe their hearts would be changed.  Or, more to the point, maybe our own hearts would be changed.

There is also, I believe, something we may have missed over the last two-thousand year.  That is, that there is power in numbers.  That power comes from Jesus promise that where two or three — or thousands — gather together, across the world, praying “In my name” I will be there.

Clarification:  To pray “In Jesus’ name” is to pray according to God’s will, not our will.  That God will act.

Just imagine for a moment!  If all people who believe in God, or any other name of a higher being, would pray for God’s intervention into the minds of those who claim the right to make bad decision, hurt, kill, terrorize, bully, or generally act in rude and arrogant ways.  If we all prayed a simple prayer asking for their hearts to be soften to God’s way of living and thinking.  

Just imagine the possibilities!  

The possibility that the entire would could be changed into a “quite and peaceful” place.

3 This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Wouldn’t that be extra-ordinarily amazing?

No more war.

   No more fear on city streets.

No bullies on the playground.

    No trucks full of bombs driving through a crowd.

  No immigration agents pulling families apart.

Too Idealistic you say?

I would suggest it is realistically quite possible.

The problem may well be that we, very capable and independent humans, have forgotten the tremendous impact prayer creates.  

Maybe the problem is that we have become to complacent. 

Or maybe we could think about our responsibility in this messy world of unfortunate government activity, conflict and violent terrorism. 

I wonder if we haven’t actually let God down by our lack of intentional listening to God in corporate, or personal, prayer.

Possibly, it would be an excellent idea for all those who believe in God — whatever religion you belong to — to begin to take seriously the privilege of being God’s partners in this war on good ethics and high values.

I am not just thinking about the obvious destructive activity — in a physical as well as intellectual and emotional sense — on a world scale.  But also on the scale of one-to-one, social status-to social status, as well as nation-to-nation scale.

Paul says, the one thing we as individuals can “do” is to pray.    

The highway billboard, just outside of Burlington, Wisconsin, boldly announces:  Pray It Works!

Maybe if all the individuals, of the believing world,  began to use this powerful tool so long left silent.  Then possibly our world would indeed begin to change for the better. 

Maybe then people would begin to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Mic.6)