MANY OF US GREW UP WITH AND HAVE BECOME VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE MANY STORIES FROM AESOP’S FABLES. ONE SUCH FABLE IS ENTITLED “THE BEAR AND THE TRAVELERS.”
IN THIS FABLE, IT IS SAID THAT TWO TRAVELERS WERE ON THE ROAD TOGETHER, WHEN A BEAR SUDDENLY APPEARED ON THE SCENE. BEFORE HE OBSERVED THEM, ONE MADE FOR A TREE AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND CLIMBED UP INTO THE BRANCHES AND HID THERE. THE OTHER WAS NOT SO NIMBLE AS HIS COMPANION; AND, AS HE COULD NOT ESCAPE, HE THREW HIMSELF ON THE GROUND AND PRETENDED TO BE DEAD.
THE BEAR CAME UP AND SNIFFED ALL AROUND HIM, BUT HE KEPT PERFECTLY STILL AND HELD HIS BREATH; FOR THEY SAY THAT A BEAR WILL NOT TOUCH A DEAD BODY. THE BEAR TOOK HIM FOR A CORPSE, AND WENT AWAY.
WHEN THE COAST WAS CLEAR, THE TRAVELER IN THE TREE CAME DOWN, AND ASKED THE OTHER WHAT IT WAS THE BEAR HAD WHISPERED TO HIM WHEN HE PUT HIS MOUTH TO HIS EAR. THE OTHER REPLIED," HE TOLD ME NEVER AGAIN TRAVEL WITH A FRIEND WHO DESERTS YOU AT THE FIRST SIGN OF DANGER." MISFORTUNE TESTS THE SINCERITY OF FRIENDSHIP.
BUT IT GOES BEYOND JUST MISFORTUNE. IT APPLIES TO ALL THE THINGS IN OUR LIVES. EVERY SINGLE DAY, WE MAKE CHOICES THAT SHOW WHETHER WE ARE COURAGEOUS OR COWARDLY. WE CHOOSE BETWEEN THE RIGHT THING AND THE CONVENIENT THING, STICKING TO A CONVICTION OR CAVING IN FOR THE SAKE OF COMFORT, GREED OR APPROVAL.
WE CHOOSE EITHER TO TAKE A CAREFULLY THOUGHT-OUT RISK OR TO CRAWL INTO A SHRINKING SHELL OF SAFETY AND SECURITY. WE CHOOSE EITHER TO BELIEVE IN GOD AND TRUST HIM, OR TO SECOND-GUESS HIM AND COWER IN THE CORNERS OF DOUBT AND FEAR.
THAT IS WHY IT IS SUCH A COMFORT TO KNOW THAT WE SERVE A GOD WHO WILL NOT ABANDON US WHEN TIMES GET TOUGH. IT IS A SECURITY OF MIND AND SOUL TO KNOW THAT WE SERVE A GOD THAT WILL NOT TURN ON US EVEN WHEN WE TURN FROM HIM.
GOD REMINDED US SEVERAL TIMES IN DEUTERONOMY 31:6,8; JOSHUA 1:5, AND HEBREWS 13:5, THAT “I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR WILL I FORSAKE YOU.” GOD WANTS TO BE WITH US. GOD WANTS TO COMMUNE WITH US. GOD DESIRES TO DWELL WITH US. GOD DESIRES TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH US.
GOD WANTS US TO BE IN SUCH LOVE WITH HIM AND IN SUCH A DEEP FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM THAT IT WOULD COME TO THE POINT THAT WE WOULD GET SO CLOSE THAT IT WOULD SEEM AS IF WE COULD JUST REACH OUT AND PHYSICALLY TOUCH HIM.
THIS IS WHY IT IS SO CRITICAL TO HAVE A PROPER UNDERSTANDING OF PRAYER. THIS IS WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE WE REMIND OURSELVES OF THE BASICS OF PRAYER.
ONE, IT IS CRUCIAL THAT WE BEGIN BY KNOWING THAT PRAYER DOES NOT ORIGINATE WITH US, BUT FROM GOD SEEKING US OUT, WHISPERING TO OUR HEARTS AND ENCOURAGING US TO RESPOND WITH AN INVITATION.
TWO, PRAYER IS ANOTHER WAY OF GOD LOVING US IMMENSELEY AND SHOWING US THAT HE WANTS TO SPEND TIME WITH US. THREE, PRAYER IS A GIFT THAT GOD GIVES SO THAT WE CAN BE WITH HIM AND DEEPEN OUR FRIENDSHIP WITH HIM. WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY IS THIS: PRAYER SHOULD BE AN ENJOYABLE AND FULFILLING EXPERIENCE WITH OUR FRIEND AND WITH OUR GOD.
HOW MANY TIMES CAN WE LOOK BACK OVER OUR PRAYER-LIFE AND RECALL THAT PRAYER SEEMED MORE OF A DUTY TO FULFILL OR ANOTHER TASK WE FELT OBLIGATED TO PERFORM?
IF YOU ARE LIKE ME, THEN WE SHARE THE SAME STORY.
SINCE THAT IS THE CASE, LET’S ALL SETTLE IT IN OUR MINDS TODAY WITH A FEW SIMPLE FACTS OF PRAYER. ONE IS THAT WE MUST REALIZE THAT GOD DESIRES OUR COMPANY AND THAT WHEN HE SPEAKS TO US IT IS MORE THAN WORDS.
JUST THINK…STARRY NIGHTS, A SUNSET, FIELDS OF CORN SWAYING IN THE BREEZE OR A COUPLE HOLDING HANDS WALKING DOWN THE SIDEWALK. JUST TAKE THE TIME TO APPRECIATE THESE TIMES OF WONDER, AWE, AND REVERENCE WITH THOUGHTS OF GRATITUDE IN YOUR HEART.
PRAYER ARISES AS WE TREASURE ALL THE MOMENTS IN LIFE AS GIFTS FROM THE FATHER’S HAND. IN YOUR PRAYER TIME THIS WEEK TRY INVITING GOD TO BE WITH YOU AS YOU LISTEN TO SOUL-INSPIRING MUSIC, AS YOU TAKE YOUR WALK, AS YOU CLEAN THE HOUSE, DO THE DISHES, OR WORK IN THE YARD. SUCH ACTIVITES BECOME PRAYER AS WE DO THEM IN GOD’S PRESENCE. WE WILL SOON REALIZE THAT THE JOY AND SATISFACTION THAT THEY BRING ARE ACTUALLY BLESSINGS WHICH GOD IS GIVING TO US.
ANOTHER SIMPLE FACT OF PRAYER IS THAT WE CAN USE OUR SENSES TO PRAY. WE CAN START BY PRAYING WITH OUR IMAGINATIONS. THE BIBLE ABOUNDS WITH STORIES, PARABLES, METAPHORS AND ANALOGIES. AS WE READ SUCH MATERIAL WE CAN ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE DRAWN INTO THE PROCESS.
ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS IS TO PRAY THE BOOK OF PSALMS TO SEE HOW WE RELATE TO THE FEELINGS EXPRESSED WITHIN THE VERSES. ALLOW THOSE WORDS TO REMIND OURSELVES OF SIMILAR FEELINGS IN OUR OWN LIVES AND THE SITUATIONS WHICH PROMPTED THEM. AS WE DO, WE CAN SENSE GOD LOVING US AND INVOLVING US IN ‘DIALOGUE’ AS HE SPEAKS TO US.
WE CAN ALSO USE OUR MINDS IN PRAYER. WE SPEND TIME WITH GOD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT GOD IS REALITY. THIS OPENS THE DOOR FOR GOD TO WORK WITH US TO HELP US EXAMINE OURSELVES BY REFLECTING DEEPLY ABOUT ALL THE THINGS WE HAVE DONE, WHAT WE NEED TO DO, AND HOW WE NEED TO GROW.
THIS IS THE SAME STYLE OF PRAYER THAT OPENS THE SCRIPTURES TO US. WHEN GOD IS INVITED INTO OUR TIMES SPENT WITHIN THE SCRIPTURES, WE RECEIVE THE GIFTS OF MIND TO SOAK IN ITS MEANING AND TO UNDERSTAND THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD AND OF OURSELVES.
WHEN WE WALK WITH GOD IN THE INTIMACY OF SCRIPTURE, WE ARE ENABLED TO CONNECT TO THE MEANING OF THE WORDS. THIS IS HOW WE ARE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN CONNECT AND APPLY THE WORDS OF SCRIPTURE TO THE VARIOUS SITUATIONS OF OUR LIVES.
IF WE WILL SIMPLY INVITE GOD INTO THE INTIMACY OF FRIENDSHIP OF OUR DEVOTIONAL LIFE, WE WILL SOON FIND THAT WE ARE GIVING GOD A CHANCE TO SPEAK TO US THROUGH HIS WORD TO REFRAME THE WAY WE LOOK AT LIFE SITUATIONS AND TO REFASHON OUR PATTERNS OF RESPONDING TO LIFE’S SITUATIONS.
WALKING WITH GOD IN PRAYER AND FRIENDSHIP IS A WONDERFUL AND FULFILLING EXPERIENCE. YET, THERE ARE TIMES WE JUST FLAT-OUT MISS IT OUT OF FEAR THAT WE WON’T GET ALL THE WORDS RIGHT TO MAKE IT AN “OFFICIAL” PRAYER. SOMETIMES I THINK IT CAN COME DOWN TO GETTING ALL TANGLED UP IN VOCABULARY TO THE POINT OF ALLOWING “WORDS” TO GET IN OUR WAY.
LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO JUST SIMPLY REST IN GOD’S PRESENCE, ALLOWING HIM TO QUIET OUR SOULS AND TO REFRESH US WITH THE REALIZATION THAT HE IS GOD AND THAT WE CAN SURRENDER OUR CARES INTO HIS HANDS.
I AM KNOWN AS A CHAPLAIN, A FATHER AND A HUSBAND. YOU, AS WELL, ARE KNOWN TO OTHERS THROUGH SIMILAR DESCRIPTIVE TITLES. ENOCH, WAS NO DIFFERENT. OR WAS HE?
ENOCH WAS DESCRIBED AS A MAN WHO “WALKED WITH GOD.” THE WORD “WALK” USED HERE IS THE BIBLICAL EXPRESSION FOR “FELLOWSHIP AND OBEDIENCE THAT RESULTS IN DIVINE FAVOR.”
CHRONOLOGICALLY SPEAKING, ENOCH’S WALK LASTED 300 YEARS. NO DOUBT THAT ENOCH’S WALK WOULD HAVE CONTINUED, BUT GOD TOOK HIM AWAY AND HE DID NOT DIE.
SUCH A WALK OF FELLOWSHIP, INTIMACY, AND OBEDIENCE WAS COMMANDED OF ISRAEL THEN (LEVITICUS 26:3,12) AND IT IS COMMANDED AND DESIRED OF OUR CHURCH TODAY. PRAYER AND FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD IS A WAY OF LIFE AND IT IS THE GATEWAY OF HAVING A BETTER WAY TO LIVE. IT LEADS TO A GREATER AND A BETTER LIFE…ONE OF LIBERTY AND BLESSING.
THE SAME BIBLICAL WORD “WALK” IS ALSO USED OF NOAH IN GENESIS 6:9; AND OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC IN GENESIS 17:1; 24:40; AND IN 48:15. TIME WITH GOD, FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD, AND WALKING WITH GOD ARE CRUCIAL ELEMENTS OF OUR LIVES.
GOD DOES LOVE US. HE SEEKS US OUT. HE DELIGHTS IN THE TIME WE SPEND IN HIS PRESENCE, BUT HE WILL NOT COERCE US. PRAYER IS HIS GIFT TO US, BUT IT IS ALSO A DECISION WE MAKE TO BE WITH HIM.
REMEMBER: PRAYER IS TO BE AN ENJOYABLE AND FULFILLING EXPERIENCE WITH OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. AS WE MAKE THE EFFORT TO INVEST OUR TIME AND GIVE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR HEAVENLY FATHER THE TIME IT REQUIRES, THE MORE WE WILL FIND OUR RELATIONSHIP DEEPENING AND GROWING.
AS WE OPEN MORE OF OURSELVES TO GOD, WE WILL RECEIVE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE WANTS TO BE FOR US. GOD USES PRAYER TO BRING OUT HIS BEST IN US SO THAT HE CAN USE US TO BRING ABOUT HIS BEST FOR OTHERS.
