Sermon Central
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The Prayer Of Cyrus ...
Contributed by Richard Tow on Sep 7, 2009 (message contributor)
“The Prayer of Cyrus Brown.”
“’The proper way for a man to pray,’ said Deacon Lamuel Keyes,
’and the only proper attitude is down upon his knees.’
’No, I should say the way to pray,’ said Reverend Doctor Wise,
’is standing straight with outstretched arms and rapt and upturned eyes.’
’Oh, no, no, no!” said Elder Sloe. ’Such posture is too proud.
A man should pray with eyes fast closed and head contritely bowed.’
’It seems to me his hands should be austerely clasped in front,
with both thumbs pointing toward the ground,’ said Reverend Doctor Blunt.
’Last year I fell in Hodkin’s well, head first,’ said Cyrus Brown.
’With both my heels a-stickin’ up, my head apointin’ down.
And I made a prayer right then and there, the best prayer I ever said,
the prayenist prayer I ever prayed was astandin’ on my head.’”
Have you had any experiences like Cyrus Brown? Have been in any situations where at least metaphorically your heels were a-stickin’ up, and your head was apointin’ down?
Source: Sam Walter Foss (1858–1911) as quoted by J. Vernon McGee, On Prayer: Praying and Living in the Father’s Will (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2002), 21–24.
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