Summary

Prayer Word on the Week 28th September 2014.
As a country we are very vulnerable at present. Ireland is awash with money. It seems impossible to stop the flow. The amounts are so large that many of us cannot even visualize them!
The temptation to become a spendthrift many find irresistible. Certainly the Government provides poor leadership in this area. Perhaps next week’s budget will prove me wrong. But with an election looming – I doubt it.
Money for many people has become their functional saviour. As an antidote the wise words of Agur in his prayer are worth repeating: -
“Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’
Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”
Proverbs 30 verses 7 to 9.
This week someone said to me “Praying is hard”. That is to put it mildly! To begin with we should listen to the words of the Hebrews writer: - And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Chapter 11 verse 6.
So a modicum of faith in the existence of God is required. For our encouragement Jesus said the faith needed could be very small. In fact, only be the size of a mustard seed (Luke 17 verse 6).
When his disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray he used the filial name of Father. Such an encouragement for us to speak from our heart, at the same time recognising the purity and holiness of the One we are addressing. The desire to see God’s Kingdom, that is God’s will, be done on earth as it is in heaven should follow as it puts our needs into the right perspective.
But there is perhaps an even greater need to pray today. God’s creation is being polluted. Those made in his image are (at least in the West) busily denying it. The slaughter of the innocents continues via wars and abortions. Drug use has wrecked lives and made cities unsafe places to walk. The list goes on! Here is the answer: - pray, pray, pray.
Jesus tells us, when we pray to enter our closet, shut the door and our Father who hears in secret will answer you openly (Matthew 6 verse 6).