"I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up  holy   hands , without wrath and doubting." (1 Timothy 2:8, KJV)

How far we have strayed from the spirit of this verse!
When we happen across another Christian  in the store or on the street or in the office, how seldom we pray with them! How seldom we even say a simple, “God bless you” (except when someone sneezes!).  It sounds so trite,  something that old ladies would say.

Compared to our religious “politeness”, how rude Jesus was in His praying!  He never asked  permission, nor did He give any warning, but launched right into prayer without formality or introduction.  Jesus included the Father in His conversation as if He were visibly present with them.  How Jesus' prayers would violate our current standards of Christian “etiquette”! How awkward we would  feel if we encountered someone who prayed like that!  We wouldn’t know what to do!

Might this have something to do with the fact that our lives are so secular?  We do not weave prayer into our daily activities.  So our relationships with other Christians, who are our brothers and sisters in the Spirit, are  virtually the same as with unbelievers.  We have blended in so well that we have lost our distinctive flavor.  Let us beware, for Jesus said: "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (Luke 14:34-35)
 

Prayer: Father, please restore prayer with others to its proper place in our lives.  I pray in the name of Jesus Your Son, who first taught us to pray.

CrossPollen e-mail: thornroot@juno.com

Copyright © 2001 CrossPollen Last Revised: June 3, 2001