Empowering Our Activities With Prayer Series

Bernie May, the United States Division Director of Wycliffe Bible

Translators, for many years tells of his conflict with other Christians

in a major book publishing deal. Chet Bitterman was shot to death by

a terrorist group in Columbia, because they wanted the Bible

translation he was doing to be stopped. Steve Ester wrote the book

Called To Die about this 20th century martyr. 40,000 copies were

ordered from Zondervan. Everything was going great until Christians

in Columbia saw the jacket that was to cover the book. They sent an

urgent message to Bernie that the language made the book more

exciting to American buyers, but it could provoke the terrorist down

there to more violence. Murders and bombings could be the result.

Bernie got on the phone to Zondervan and said the wording had to

be changed. The editor said it was impossible for the jackets were

printed and scheduled to be bound the next day. And argument

developed over rights. The editor insisted on his right to print the

cover, and Bernie insisted on his right to protect the people who could

be hurt. They were unable to resolve their differences, and so they

agreed to let the president of Zondervan hear their problem and

decide. That night Bernie could not sleep, for he hated conflict with

other Christians. The next morning the president of Zondervan called

and said he understood his problem and would scrap the jacket and

start over. He thanked him and hung up, and sat there amazed. A

major conflict had been settled.

The phone rang again. It was Cora Frederick a multiple sclerosis

victim confined to a wheel chair. She said she woke at 5 A. M. and felt

a need to pray for him. She had been praying intensely for hours, and

then she felt a sense a praise that the crisis had passed. Bernie could

hardly believe his ears. He told her of the impossible situation that

had just been resolved. Cora laughed and said, “Before I came down

with M S I never had time to pray. Now God has called me into this

ministry of intercession. I’m just thankful I can have a place in the

ministry.” This true story illustrates so perfectly our theme, for we

see here the conflict between seeking the power of busyness and the

power of prayer.

The Christian editor of a major Christian publishing company

was seeking the power of busyness. He had a job to do to make money

for his company, and he was not going to waste time and resources

because of some supposed fear. His busyness blinded him to the more

vital concerns of the lives and security of other Christians. Cora was

in the same boat, and she was too busy to pray until her ability to be

busy had been taken away. Then she had to learn of the power of

prayer. God used her prayer power to do what busyness could not do,

and the story had a happy ending.

This conflict between busyness and prayer power is one that every

Christian faces. Dr. James Denison, pastor of First Baptist Church of Midland,

Texas wrote this prayer that deals with the conflict between busyness

and prayer.

“Lord, forgive me-I’ve failed you again.

Some believers wouldn’t consider it a failure, but I know better.

It’s not prayerlessness, nor evil thoughts or vain imagination.

No, I’ve failed you in a much more subtle way.

I’ve become the ugliest of all things-a busy person.

It’s okay for a while. The long hours, the constant pressure,

Administration, decision-making, unrealistic expectations, relentless

demands..

I loved what I was doing. I was committed, creative, energetic...

Like a quick-change artist I switched hats, changed roles,

Tried to be all things to all people.

There was not time for solitude or day dreaming.

Too many deadlines had to be met.

It was exciting and demanding.I was out to change the world.

But there was not rhythm in my life.

No balance between work and rest, worship and play.

Now I’m not just a busy man. I’m an angry man, too.

I’m tempted to resent the people I love and to dread

The responsibilities I’m committed to.

Forgive me, Lord, for working too hard and playing too little.

Let me become a child again, at least for a time each day.

Help me, Lord, for I am a busy person.”

Our culture equates busyness and success, and so Christians feel

they need to be busy to be successful. The problem is that too much of

a good thing becomes a bad thing. Jesus was busy and under

enormous pressure to minister to the needs of the crowds that came to

Him continually. He had a hard time getting away from the pressure,

and was sometimes so totally exhausted that He fell asleep, even when