The Power of a Simple Prayer MAX LUCADO Dont worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and dont forget to thank him for his answers. Philippians 4:6 (TLB) Want to see a fathers face ashen or hear a mother gasp? Then sit nearby as they discover three words on the box of a new toy: Some assembly required. What follows are several late night hours of squeezing A into B, bolting D into F, and hoping no one notices if steps 4, 5 and 6 are skipped altogether. Parents want a gift for their child. What they get is a project — sometimes a project for life. Some assembly required. Its not the most welcome sentence, but its an honest one. Marriage licenses should include those words, in large print. Job contracts should state them in bold letters. Babies should exit the womb with a toe tag: Some assembly required. Life is a gift, albeit disassembled. It comes in pieces and sometimes falls to pieces. Part A doesnt always fit Part B. The struggle seems large and inevitably, something is missing. Its such a common problem. Who among us doesnt have an area of life that isnt working? How do you respond when the pieces dont fit? In frustration? In anger? In prayer? Id like to say I always respond in prayer. The truth? I am a recovering prayer wimp. I doze off when I pray. My thoughts zig, then zag, then zig again. If attention deficit disorder applies to prayer, then I am afflicted. But I also know theres power in prayer, even simple prayers. Mary, the mother of Jesus, knew this too. Maybe youve heard the story. A couple thousand years ago there was a common wedding in Cana. The bride wasnt the daughter of an emperor. The groom wasnt a prince. Apart from one detail, the event wouldve been lost in time. But we remember it because Jesus was on the guest list. While Jesus was there, the wedding party ran out of wine. Enter Mary, mother of Jesus. For my nickel, she appears too seldom in Scripture. After all, who knew Jesus better than she did? So, on the rare occasion she speaks, we perk up. The mother of Jesus said to Him, They have no wine(John 2:3b, NKJV). Consider this prayer of Mary. The pieces didnt fit, so she took the problem to Jesus. Mary wasnt bossy. She didnt say: Jesus, they are out of wine. So, here is what I need. Go down to the grove at the corner. Accelerate the growth of some Bordeaux grapes. Turn them into wine. She didnt try to fix the problem. Nor was she critical. If only they had planned better, Jesus. People just dont think ahead. What is society coming to? Nor did she blame Jesus. What kind of Messiah are you? If you truly were in control, this never would have happened! She didnt blame herself. Its all my fault, Jesus. Punish me. I failed as a friend. Now, the wedding is ruined. The marriage will collapse. I am to blame. None of this. Mary didnt whine about the wine. She just stated the problem. Then, Jesus said to her, Woman, what does your concern have to do with me? My hour has not yet come. His mother said to the servants, Whatever he says to you, do it (John 2:4-5, NKJV). Apparently Jesus had no intention of saving the wedding banquet. This wasnt the time nor the place He had planned to reveal his power. But then Mary entered the story: Mary, someone He loved, with a genuine need. So what did He do? Jesus told the servants to fill the water pots with water, and that water became wine the entire party enjoyed. Problem presented. Prayer answered. Crisis avoided. All because Mary entrusted the problem to Jesus. Her simple request prompted a divine response! Like me, you might think if you take your problems to Jesus every time you have one, youll talk to Jesus all day long. I think thats the point. After all, the writer of Philippians reminds us in our key verse, Dont worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and dont forget to thank him for his answers (Philippians 4:6). When life doesnt fit, its easy to worry or be critical or try to fix it. But lets let Mary be our model. She took her problem to Jesus and she left it there. She stated her problem simply, presented it faithfully and trusted Him humbly. Father, You are good. I need help to lay my problems at Your feet. Help my friends to do the same. Thank You for hearing my cries for help and being faithful to respond in love. In Jesus Name, Amen. TRUTH FOR TODAY: Ephesians 6:18, And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lords people. (NIV) 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus. (NIV)
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 12:47:20 +0000
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