Did you ever wonder when your first prayer was uttered? What was it that made you start? Was it your honest cry coming out of the birth canal?
Liturgical spoken prayers were taught to me as a lad. But the earliest prayer that I can remember came sputtering out in my elementary schoolyard. For the life of me, I don’t know what triggered it, but I recall it as if it were yesterday: “Lord, make me kind.”
That may turn out to be the longest-awaited answer to a prayer in my life because scripture says we will, in fact, be just like Jesus - but only when we see Him face to face. Oh well, He can have at it in the meantime.
When was your first prayer answered? That’s a loaded question. However, if we rephrase it and ask, “When was the first time you noticed that your prayer was answered?," that might be one you can remember.
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The first Thursday of May is National Day of Prayer. Look for the meeting place in your town or city.
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Prayer is as natural as breathing and it is particularly easier in the life of a child. They don’t seem to have any problem falling to their knees. It is indeed part of our spiritual DNA.
But any person can force oneself to be mute as well as deaf. For which is worse: if one puts his hands over his spiritual ears or one puts his hands over his mouth so he cannot figuratively hear from or speak to The Almighty?
Even the agnostic cries, “Oh, God,” when there is a need, an emergency or a surprise.
And what of the atheist in the foxhole?
Alas, unexpected prayer is the naked man revealed.
Let’s stick with naked babe’s natural and honest cries.
PORTAL TO HEAVEN: What could be more of a portal to heaven than an ongoing, natural-as-breathing prayer life; connected as those who live in the same house sharing meals and conversation?
Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed…'Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.'
Luke 5:16 NIV, John 11:41 NIV