There is a great story in 2 Chronicles 20 of Moab’s raid on Judah when Jehoshaphat was king. Jehoshaphat wasn’t the general David was, but he knew Who God is. And he threw himself and his people on God’s mercy. I love the closing line of his prayer, after reminding God of His victory over Egypt, etc. Jehoshaphat says, “O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You” (v. 12 Emphasis added). It reminds me of Paul’s teaching in Romans 8 that The Holy Spirit intercedes for us because we don’t really know how to pray either!
So then why pray? Because it’s a necessary acknowledgment of our humble dependence on God. James says, we have not because we ask not. Peter says to cast all of our cares upon Him. Paul says to Timothy as he repairs the church at Ephesus, “First of all gather them and Pray!” And The Son Himself when He was walking this sod, would get up early just to get alone with the Father and pray. Pray draws us closer to God and He is the God of all flesh, there is nothing He can’t do! We have access now, though the blood of Christ (Hebrews 4:14-16); let’s not allow it to be our last resort.
A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had with him his box of cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a shiny, red plastic shovel.
In the process of creating roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in the middle of the sandbox. The lad dug around the rock, managing to dislodge it from the dirt. With no little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the rock across the sandbox by using his feet. (He was a very small boy and the rock was very large.) When the boy got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, however, he found that he couldn’t roll it up and over the little wall.
Determined, the little boy shoved, pushed, and pried, but every time he thought, he had made some progress, the rock tipped and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed, shoved-but his only reward was to have the rock roll back, smashing his chubby fingers. Finally he burst into tears of frustration.
All this time the boy’s father watched from the living room window as the drama unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow fell across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy’s father. Gently but firmly he said, “Son, why didn’t you use all the strength that you had available?”
Defeated, the boy sobbed back, “But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had!”
“No, son,” corrected the father kindly. “You didn’t use all the strength you had. You didn’t ask me.” With that the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it from the sandbox.
After Jesus threw the money changers out of the temple he quoted Isaiah 56 “My House shall be a House of Prayer!” Let’s make sure this House – WOGF is a “House of Prayer!”
Pastor Scott
Grace Notes 