Topic: Prayer
On our way home from the mall tonight, we were stopped at a freeway exit ramp traffic light. And there he was, our delimma, standing there with a weathered sign, asking for help. He looked younger than us, 30ish, and he was jabbering on to himself or maybe to the cars he was scanning with his eyes....wanting to make that eye contact...that connection....and some cash.
I really am not being cynical. I know that is what he wanted, why he was there and I am seriously conflicted at that point. Charles and I have worked with homeless people quite a bit and money never changes their situation. So we make it a point not to hand them cash. I have handed out food to someone like this man, crackers or something quick that I could reach. And I've bought hamburgers for a homeless, hungry looking soul in Burger King. My husband talks to a lot of people coming to the church, looking for help. So he takes them to buy gas or gives them a bag of groceries. And he talks to them about Jesus while he's doing it.
It really is a delimma these days for Christians. The Bible says to give to all who ask....to be as wise as serpents, as gentle as doves...to give a cup of cold water, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, visit those in prisons. And we definitely should!
But what can you do for a man with a sign at a busy intersection? I knit my brows and thought about it for a moment, then I prayed for him, silently. He didn't know, he was jabbering at cars and concentrating hopefully on windows rolling down. I didn't assume he was on drugs or mentally ill, but I prayed for God to draw this man to Himself....to break his chains and set him free.
Because prayer changes things.
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
James 5:16
So the next time you see a situation you can't change, pray. I'm still thinking about that man tonight....and it prompts me to pray again for him. I'll never know, until that Day, what may change for that man because of a prayer of spiritual warfare, whispered while waiting on a traffic signal, but I think I can trust God with that. I know something is going on because I keep thinking of it. So I do what I can....and that is the most effective thing we can do....PRAY.
I never want to underestimate what God wants to do....and how He may want to use me to do it.
From Isaiah 59
14 So justice is driven back,
and righteousness stands at a distance;
truth has stumbled in the streets,
honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth is nowhere to be found,
and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The LORD looked and was displeased
that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no one,
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm worked salvation for him,
and his own righteousness sustained him.
17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate,
and the helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments of vengeance
and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
And Ephesians 6
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
God wants us to intervene for the helpless.....so I want to dust off that armor, polish that breastplate, and sharpen that Sword.
And I won't just pray for the homeless men I see with signs at busy intersections. I'll pray for that tired, irritated mother of preschoolers in the grocery store, for the angry young man, covered with tattoos at the movie theater and for those emo kids who skateboard past my house every day.
And I will be keeping watch......God wants to cause change.
And He will.
Updated: Tue, Feb 6 2007 12:05 PM PST
Post Comment | View Comments (5) | Permalink | Share This Post