WHY WE PRAY

 No other religious act is as universal as prayer.  Knowing that all of you are fathers who pray, and are teaching your children to pray, I want you to realize that you help your children join into an endless chain of prayer that has probably never ceased since human beings began praying.  Whether the prayers go up to a pantheon of gods, or to the one and only true God, prayers have been uttered for thousands of years 24/7.   It is only in recent years that prayers have come under derision by those fools who don't believe in God.  Even in our prestigious halls of government the call to prayer for those in need of comfort have been heckled and used as a political weapon. Yet, with all of that prayer, there is question we need to answer in ourselves; Why do we pray?   

Have you ever kept track of answered prayers?   Can you state with assurance, that prayer does work?  Why pray if everything proceeds on a set course dictated by God?  We've been looking at the Lord's prayer, and within that prayer we can only find one reference to praying for ourselves.  If we can't improve our lot in life by prayer, what good is the act of prayer?   These are questions I've asked, and have been asked of me over my lifetime.  Do we REALLY believe that prayer changes things?   

IF you believe really believe prayer changes things, then why aren't you doing more of it?   Is there anything else that could be more important than prayer? 

The answer to that question is as simple as the car you drive.  Every car has a key, which turns the ignition circuit on, which allows the car to start, which in turn allows the car to move, which allows you to go places.  You are the key and prayer is the ignition that fires up the spiritual engine.  WE pray to advance the Kingdom of God, we pray so that the Kingdom can come from heaven to earth.  

Sadly, during the last century, we saw the power of prayer abused by those who saw it as a means to enrich their lives on this earth.  The prosperity movement took valid truths, and twisted the act of prayer into a vending machine that dispenses goodies upon anyone with enough faith coins to drop into the spiritual slot.  Don't get me wrong, I believe in living a good life, and I believe God wants us to have a good life while we are here on this earth.  However, if you truly believe in eternity, this life is beyond infinitesimal in comparison to the eternal.  Cluttering up our prayer lives with requests for stuff, or dismissal of conflict, can be counter-productive.  So, what do we do?  Why do we pray?   Actually, the question should be; What should we pray for?  

As most of you are fathers, I'm sure you've heard your children ask you for things, ask you for information, and ask you what you are doing.  THINK!!! What did you respond with?  Did you give them everything they asked for?  Did you answer their every question?   If you did, let me know how that went for you. Sometimes, (and I've said it myself) the only answer you can give is; "Because I told you so."  

Over my lifetime I've heard every explanation for prayer that can be given.  The one thing I've never heard is a reason not to pray.  So, when you come to Men's Group this Sunday morning, you might keep in mind the next phrase in the Lord's Prayer. "Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven."           

TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN TO PRAY...FOR YOU

This is our second lesson on Fatherhood, and prayer.  It seems to me that prayer slips to the back of our list of things to do, especially in an affluent society like ours. Even in the midst of this pandemic I would be curious to know how many men have even thought to ask God to protect their home from the Chinese Wuhan Coronavirus.  As I said in last week's blog, there is a disconnect for modern Christians when it comes to prayer. 

If you need healing, go to a doctor.  If you need more money, work another job.  If your favorite electronics go out, buy another. If your car quits running, take it to the mechanic...the list goes on, and on.  Here in the good ol' USA,  we rarely lack for anything.  With the exception of the homeless, even those in poverty have shelter, and to some degree, at least one meal a day.  What is there to ask God for?   So, when I talk about prayer, and the need to be a praying father, I am fairly certain that I get tuned out.  If I talk about the need to be a part of a weekly prayer meeting, the list of excuses come off our tongues fairly quickly.  

Can we change that?  Can we make prayer the first thing we do?  Let me see if I can help you move that direction.  

You don't have to be the ball hog when it comes to prayer.  YES, I want you to be a praying father, but how about delegating some of the prayer duties to your children?  When you find yourself needing healing, ask your little one to come over and pray for you.  Use that moment to teach them about where healing comes from, and why it is important for them to pray for you.  Let them know that they don't have to be an adult, or even a big kid to pray for healing.  Teach them how to talk with God, and the importance of speaking the name of Jesus.  Then, later, you will be pleasantly rewarded by them coming to pray for you when you haven't even asked them.  Been there, had that happen, and there is nothing like it.  

If you need more money, let them know that God is your supply, not just you working harder.  You might be surprised by hearing them tell God their true heart about what they want.  You might just hear them tell you that they just want more of you.   

Children understand a lot more than we think they do.  If our first solution to life's problems comes from ourselves, then you can bet that is where their faith will be.  However, if you encourage them to pray for you, you show them that your faith is in God, and that they don't need to be ashamed of asking Him for personal matters.  When you invite a child to pray for you, you give them the keys to faith.  I believe in reading the bible, but I believe in prayer more. 

To make my case with scriptures, let me point out that the Apostle Paul considered himself to be the spiritual father of many of the churches we read about in the New Testament.  He was not afraid to ask for their prayers.  Paul knew that if they could exercise their faith for him, that they could do it for one another, and for the work of the Gospel.   

Sunday, we'll look at scriptures that will give you ideas of what to ask your kids to pray for.