Rao was a Hindu yogi, a mystic who devoted his life to prayer and holy thought. And through his discipline, he was able to do remarkable things, or so people thought. Finally Rao decided to let the people see him put his faith into action. In 1966, he announced he was going to walk on water. He sent out invitations to 600 of the cream of Bombay society. Charging them as much as $100 a ticket, and for those who can remember back that far, $100 was a lot of money in 1966. Still, a lot of money or not, the people came to the show, they were eager to see a miracle with their own eyes.
They weren't disappointed in the least. Rao was the very picture of a mystical vision. He stood on the bank of a five-foot-deep pond, his beard flowing down over his chest, his hems of his robes gathering on the ground at his feet. He lowered his head in silent prayer, and then lifted it. He was ready to step out and walk on water. The crowd leaned forward as walked out on a short pier. When he reached the end of the pier, he stepped off of the pier and then onto the pond. Then he sank.
I can’t help but wonder if Rao’s prayer would be considered breakthrough prayer. Even if it was, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, at least as I understand it, is not the god Hindus seek in prayer. Beyond that, even if Rao was seeking the One True God, at least in my experience God generally doesn’t seem too willing to break the laws of physics. It would take a breakthrough like most of us have never seen before.
This morning we are concluding our series on breakthrough prayer. The inspiration for this series was an address Rev. Sue Nillson Kibbey made at annual conference at the end of May. Rev. Kibbey defined breakthrough prayer as prayer where we ask God to break through in our lives and in the lives of those around us to move beyond human capabilities and do that which only God can do.
We began the series June 1 and we talked about breakthrough prayer with our families. Within all our families there are always situations where we are powerless yet we know something needs to be done. What we can do, what we can always do is pray, asking God to make a way when we simply cannot make a way on our own.
The next Sunday was Pentecost. We celebrated the birthday of the Church, and talked about having breakthrough prayer for our church. Serious times are upon us. Money is tight. Attendance is down from where we were in our glory years. But, I know this, God is good and if God breaks through here, the future is anything but dim. I also know, if we pray for God to break through, God will break through.
Two weeks ago we discussed breakthrough prayer for our friends. Just like those in our families, we all have friends that face difficulty beyond our power to resolve. God can make a breakthrough for them as well.
Last week our topic was breakthrough prayer for Diboll. People are concerned about our future. Since Temple-Inland has sold out there are concerns people in our congregation and beyond have for Diboll in the near future and beyond. None of us know the answer to that question. We do know a God who can lead us to a divinely bright future. All required from us is to pray, to ask God to break through in our city.
Today we finish this series, asking God to break through in me. I saved “Me” for last because theologically, individually, should be last. I would like for you to think about the Lord’s Prayer for a minute. We recite it, “Our Father, which art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for every. Amen.” In that entire prayer Jesus gave us to model prayer after, not one time does it say I, me, mine etc. Instead we read our, us, and we. It seems to me, if Jesus’ model prayer grouped us individuals in with others, perhaps we are not quite as important as all too often we like to think we are.
In our lesson we find the psalmist’s song of joy. The psalmist has within him the ability to look back at both the good times and the times of difficulty, and see God’s presence and power to breakthrough even in his most trying times. When the psalmist sees God’s hand he is thankful God is on his side and now sings this song of joy.
When I read this psalm I am particularly drawn to the last two verses. The psalmist writes, “You changed my mourning into dancing. You took off my funeral clothes and dressed me up in joy so that my whole being might sing praises to you and never stop. LORD, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.”
Have you ever had that kind of joy in your life? To find that joy, one must depend on God. We will never find that joy in ourselves. Regardless of how good we are, how much we stay away from trouble, how hard we work, it will never be good enough and we will always feel less than satisfied. We may find some measure of happiness but we will always be looking for something more, for something that is better.
We also can’t find that level of joy depending on friends or family. Like us, they too are human and subject to the weaknesses and frailties of being human. While they may have the best intentions at heart, they will always fall short. They will disappoint us.
The same can be said for our church and city. So many people outside the Church are quick to blame the Church when things get hard, when the Church seems to fall short. It is easy to do and the Church is an easy target. The thing is, as we all know, the Church is not the building. The Church is people and just like our families and friends. While we may have nothing but good intentions, we are going to fail.
If you want to find what’s missing look to the One who can make a breakthrough. If you want to have the joy we find in the words of the psalmist, you have to ask God to make a breakthrough. Anything else will leave you wanting.
Some years ago I knew a young man who had just graduated from high school and was supposed to go into the Air Force. He had already signed his enlistment papers. Then he got scared and panicked. He ran away. He got mixed up in drugs, serious drugs and sunk about as low as you could get. The Air Force let him out of his contract but it didn’t get he life back on a right path.
His mother knew where he was and had tried to go get him. He wouldn’t go and told her to leave and not to come back again. She left. It wasn’t that she wanted to, she just didn’t see an acceptable alternative. So, she did the only thing she had left to do. She started to pray. She was asking God, though she didn’t put it in such terms, to make a breakthrough in her son’s life.
She also shared the young man’s fate with her friends and with his friends. I was one she shared the situation with. I was one she asked to pray. She felt embarrassed by it, but not so much so as to quit asking and telling. She was getting the others to ask God to make a breakthrough.
What she didn’t know was, the young man didn’t like where he was but at least at that moment he didn’t know how to ask for help. Pride was in the way. He had grown up in the church, however, and he did know he could go to God in prayer and that is what he did. Time passed and through several events that could only be attributed to God, the young man found his way out. The last I heard he was off of all drugs. He wasn’t using alcohol. He had a job and was back in church. God made a way when there was no way for his mother, his family, his friends, his church, and even his pastor to make a way. Through the power of God, through the life-saving, life-changing grace of Jesus Christ, God had broken through and a life was dramatically changed for the better.
The same can happen to us when we live in breakthrough prayer. Whether we pray for ourselves or others, if we ask God to make a breakthrough, God can and will. It may not happen on your time table but rest assured, it can happen and it will happen.
I am not giving you homework again this week except to enter into serious prayer for God to break through in all the areas we have discussed in this series. We need God to break through in our families, with our friends, in our church, in our city and in our own lives. The 72 hour prayer vigil begins this Thursday and there are still a lot of spaces open. Please join us in prayer this weekend. I trust God that if we will be about prayer during this time it will make a difference.
Also don’t forget our 8:12 prayer time asking God to break through. All of us praying together can truly make a difference. I know you are praying people. This vigil and this time of group prayer can increase what we are already doing many times over.
We are about to come to the Lord’s Table. Instead of homework I would like for you to take a moment at the rail. Here you will find some broken pieces of tile along with some Sharpie markers. I would like to ask you to pick up a piece of tile and with the marker right a one word prayer for how you would like God to break through in your life. You might write, “healing” or “strength” or “finances.” What you write is entirely up to you. Just write a word and leave it laying on the rail. Or, if you know God has already broken through, your prayer might be a one word prayer of thanksgiving. What you write is up to you. Just leave them on the rail, asking God to make a breakthrough. Let this be the beginning of your breakthrough prayer for yourself.
Friends, I know we all pray. Let us be focused in our prayers. Let us be diligent in our prayers. If we are I know God will break through for us as individuals and collectively as a congregation. I challenge you today to not just be a person of prayer but to be a person of focused breakthrough prayer.
