Mid-City Christian: Pastorgraph: “P-R-A-Y”

Pastorgraph: “P-R-A-Y”

Not too long ago, Psychology Today ran an article that said the one thing most people fear more than death is public speaking. Obviously I am not most people. But I will “see you one and raise you one”. There is a fear even greater than public speaking. It is the fear of being called upon to pray in public.

In my book, The Kudzu That Ate Yazoo City, I shared some stories about growing up in the Assured Brethren Church in Mississippi. There was a tradition at the end of the worship service where the pastor would spontaneously call upon someone to “offer the benediction”. That meant, “Tag, you are it!” You have to pray out loud, with no warning or preparation while I make it to the back of the sanctuary to shake hands with everyone as they leave. I still remember folks slumping down, trying to hide from the pastor’s view, trying to avoid being hit by his gunfire – the dreaded call to “pronounce the benediction”.

In all fairness, Rev. Goodbody knew the ones he could call on. Like me, they feared neither death, public speaking, nor praying aloud. (I now recall he never called upon a woman for the benediction – but that is another subject, and don’t get me started.)

When I was a pastor in Green Bay, we had a dear old saint, Tom Quick. Tom was a sugar chemist from Louisiana who had been transferred to Wisconsin, where he fell in love, got married, and settled down. Tom was well into his 80s when I arrived. Being from the Deep South, we had an immediate bond. But I soon learned that calling on Tom to pray was something special.

I learned a lot about prayer from Tom Quick. When asked to pray aloud, Tom always paused. Unlike some of the laymen who began praying quickly and loud, Tom would “Be still, and know that I am God”. Sometimes, he would begin to weep. And soon, so did some of us. Tom realized that prayer is coming into the presence of The Holy. Prayer for Tom was a humbling privilege, never about flowery words. Tom seemed to forget where he was or about impressing us, and focused completely upon God. It was as if we were getting to listen in on a loving Father/son conversation. It is always a privilege to hear someone pray who is carrying on a genuine conversation with God.

This is not new. Even the disciples asked Jesus how to pray. He gave them a model prayer, which we call the Lord’s Prayer. Unfortunately, most of us have it committed to memory and can rattle it off without thinking about what we are saying.

So let me offer a simple “Tom Quick” model that may help in your private and public prayers. It’s easy to remember: P-R-A-Y.

P- PAUSE. Like Tom, realize that you are about to enter into a holy conversation. It helps to be less self-conscious. This is not about what others see or think. It is about God and YOU!

R- RESPECT. This is where you praise and thank God; the “hollowed be thy name” part. But make it genuine and real. Thank God for your blessings, for the beauty of His creation, for your life, family, friends and health.

A- ASK. That’s right, it’s OK to ask. This is the “give us our daily bread” part. But don’t ask selfishly. The Lord said, “You have not because you ask not!” You may not get everything you ask for. God loves to bless His children, just like you do yours.

Y- YIELD. Yield your life, possessions, talents and will to God. “Not my will, but THINE be done.”

God is not impressed with eloquent words and certainly not clichés. A few sincere heartfelt words are worth more than a thousand memorized phrases.

I remember going with my father on his dry cleaning routes during the summers when I was out of school. We ran routes to Bentonia, Benton, Tchula and Belzoni. Those were long, hot days in the dusty Mississippi Delta. We talked about a lot of things. But some of the best conversations we had were when we ran out of things to say, and just enjoyed the silence: a father and son, enjoying the love and acceptance of those precious moments together.

Prayer can be like that, a Holy Silence between a loving Father and son or daughter.

I saw a sign this week that said, “Prayer is not something you do, or what you say. Prayer is who you are with.” Whether aloud or silent, or for a few moments or hours, the best prayers are the ones when you are simply loving the Father and letting the Father love you.

For Christ's sake
Bill Jenkins

From the Quote Garden:

“Prayer is when you talk to God; meditation is when you listen to God.”
~ Author Unknown