Time to Pray

I'm angry! I'm angry at a Congress that has ignored the will of the people. I'm angry at the Church for not rising up in holy indignation. But most of all I'm angry with myself. I haven't prayed for my country like I should.

The one person I'm not angry with is God. He's been waiting for me to pray. He's been waiting for the Church to pray. He's been waiting for the people of this country to pray. He's been waiting for you to pray. But we haven't prayed. We've been too busy with protesting and letter writing. We've been too busy with social programming and evangelistic crusades.

If we want to save the soul of our nation and the souls of the lost we have to stop being busy and we have to start praying. We have to pray like our lives depend on it because it does! God isn't moved by protests or programs. He's moved by prayer...not pat petitions and perfunctory prayers, but by gut-wrenching, souls-searching, worshipful prayer. Jesus conquered Satan, death, and Hell by prayer. What makes us think we can do things any differently?

I've been reading a book called "Punkmonk" about the 24-7 prayer groups known as the Boiler Rooms. These groups have developed a 24-7, 365 day a year rhythm of prayer based on the ancient monastic model. They haven't been out protesting...they've been praying and where they set up camp and pray they have seen souls saved, bodies healed, lives and communities changed. They have paid the price with lack of sleep and calloused knees to reach the heart of God. But reach it they have and God is moving their midst.

I want God to move in my midst. I want to touch the heart of God. The question I have to ask myself, and the question you must ask yourself is this: Am I willing to pay the price? Am I willing to give up the things that consume me and my time to spend time alone with the God of the universe and pour out my heart to Him in praise and worship? Until we're willing to do that everything else is just a joke.

I'm not saying that we should stop doing all of the other things I've mentioned. What I am saying is that until we get our priorities right with God everything else is useless. We must seek God and His righteousness and then everything else will fall into place. As the author of Punkmonk says, "The currency is prayer, the price is massive, but the prize is glorious." What are you going to do?

The time to pray is NOW! Pay the price and the high prize of our calling in Jesus Christ will indeed be glorious.