I have seen a few memes recently that were making fun of the common Christian saying…
“My thoughts and prayers are with you…”
Sometimes when non believers make fun of such statements…
Christians feel inclined to attack…
Saying that they this is a sign of the end of the age….
People are mocking God…
As I think about this however…
I can’t help but think that there could be another reason that non-believers make fun of such statements…
could it be something else…
I can think of a few reasons that should cause us Christians to look in the mirror…
We Don’t Act In Concert With Our Prayer
Jesus said if you have aught with your brother and come to the alter. Lay the gift down and go be reconciled to your brother first.
Then come back…
This tells me that sometimes Action is required.
And yet…
Someone comes to us hungry…
And we say…”I’ll pray for you.”
When there are actions we can do…
You got money in your pocket…
But maybe you don’t…or can’t…
Do you know of a place for this person to go?
Have you spent 5 seconds thinking about your church’s pantry..or perhaps another church’s pantry?
Your prayer should spur action….Your prayer should lead to action…
But they know…we are just mouthing empty words…
Did We Really Pray For them?
I remember talking to a nonbeliever about prayer. He said he doesn’t mind at all when Elder So and So, a prominent and obviously spiritual man, prays for him. He feels the love that the man has for him.
Could it be that the nonbeliever is making fun of our empty statements about prayer because we haven’t really done it?
We say we pray…
but did we?
Even nonbelievers know when you are real and the weight of the world touches you to the point that you go to the Lord on their behalf.
You interact with them differently.
You ain’t condemning them for things that you are guilty of.
You ain’t looking for ways to send them to hell…
They know by how we treat them.
How we act towards them…
That we ain’t really prayed for them.
When We Pray Nothing Happens
The Bible says that an effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16
And yet….
When we pray…nothing happens…
We tell somebody that we praying…
And they still lose their house…
We tell somebody that we praying…
And nothing happens…
And I mean nothing…
They still lose their job….they still are not closer to you….you are still not helping them in any tangible way…
Nothing Happens…
Christians have turned the word prayer into an empty statement that does nobody any good.
[bctt tweet=”‘Thoughts and Prayers’ is often an empty statement that we use when we can’t or won’t do anything else.”]
And then we condemn nonbelievers for mocking our lifeless statements of dead religion.
So what is the answer?
A lack of real, deep, prevailing prayer got us here…
Real, Deep, and Prevailing prayer will get us back to where we need to be.
Lord, we know you are powerful. Lord we know you are great. Lord we know that you desire your people to be a blessing to the world. Lord we beg you to forgive us for giving our nonbelieving brothers and sisters a reason to mock you and your power. WE thank you for what you have done. We thank you for what you will do. ANd now we ask that you would bless others THROUGH us. Help us find ways to be a blessing to the world by your mighty power. So that others will see the good works and Glory you. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
My sister and brother preachers, prayer is an important part of your ministry. Go pick up this book by E. M. Bounds where he writes about the important of prayer for your work.
Maranatha…