Our Prayer

(Romans 12:2)  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

     I receive e-mails from Pastor Danny Bezet down inBeaumont, Texas.  At the bottom of his e-mails is a quote which states, “Prayer will become more effective when we stop using it as a substitute for obedience.”

              I have mulled this saying over in my mind for weeks.  It is a saying that gets right to the core of the Christian’s problem.  The problem is the lack of Obedience to God.

              When I go to the “Mall” or “Thriftway” here in Wellington, or run down to Childress to “WAAAAL-Mart,” one thing other than price increases, I have noticed that some young children are completely out of control.  (I actually see adults around town in the same light.)  These children are rude to their parents, and rude to those around them.  You hear them screaming, running uncontrolled, and then of course, no one ever considers why they end up on drugs, or in jail, or unmarried and with a child.

              You see, the quote above is stating the problem.  We look at our Obedience to God and decide, “I will cover this problem later in prayer.”  We are justifying our disobedience to God by assuming we will go to God later and ask forgiveness. Our scripture verse Romans 12:2 above tells us what we are to do, that is to transform our mind, and get our house in order through prayer. 

              Not our home alone, but also those within our home.  We must teach our children to pray and ask for forgiveness of their sins.  Disobedience is not acceptable anywhere.  (Have you noticed we have an over crowded prison system.  It is all due to the mind set that, “I’ll take care of this disobedience problem later,” I’ll never be caught.)

              We all get really bent out of shape when someone wants to remove “Under God” from our pledge, or remove “In God We Trust” from our currency.  Yet as our scripture Psalm 20 quoted below states, “…we will remember the name of the Lord our God...”  We should be just as upset with ourselves over our own loss of blessings and abundance because of our lack of obedience and the abuse of our very own prayer life.

              God understands we are going to slip up, but He wants us to know that our prayers, and the blessings of God will be more abundant, and our prayers more effective if we will turn our lives around and follow Him.     

              In God is our trust.  Trust God and Him alone.

Bro John R. E Chastain

Psalms 20:1-9  The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;  (2)  Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;  (3)  Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.  (4)  Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.  (5)  We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.  (6)  Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.  (7) Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.  (8)  They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.  (9)  Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call.