WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET YOU TO PRAY?

Acts 12:4-5 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

Peter was in a relatively hopeless situation. James, the brother of John, had been executed, now Herod had arrested Peter intending to put him to death as well. James had been killed in a particularly gruesome way -- he had been sawn in half -- lengthwise. Scripture does not record that the church had prayed for James. Perhaps it was because they were too busy with studying Scripture or serving the needy. Maybe they thought the Lord wouldn't allow one of the original 12 apostles chosen by Jesus to die, or that James didn't need their prayers because he was the teacher and they were students. Whatever the reason, the church didn't earnestly pray for James and he was executed. They weren't going to make the same mistake twice.

Verse 5: "So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him." Those of you know me well, know that my first reaction to reading this verse is to ask, "Okay, praying is fine, but what did they do next?" You see, I'm an action oriented person -- as most men are. When confronted with a problem my first reaction is not to pray, it's to get focused on what I need to do. But sometimes (even most of the time), the number one thing on top of the "To Do List" (maybe the only thing) needs to be prayer. Why? I don't know. I do know that the Bible tells us in James 4:2 "you do not have, because you do not ask God." God has chosen prayer as His primary venue to talk to us, teach us, and come to rely upon Him completely. God wants to have a prayer-rich relationship with us. What will it take to get you to pray?

[BTW: This is not the same James, the brother of John, but James, the half-brother of Jesus (the son of Mary and Joseph).]

It seems that sometimes the only reason we pray is when we have no other alternative -- things appear to be completely hopeless and beyond our personal control. How hopeless does a situation have to be to get you on your knees in prayer? My prayer for you and me is that we learn to pray regularly and don't need a horrible problem to teach us how pray. On the top of your daily "To Do List" enter one word: PRAY. Begin today. Right now. Pray about whatever is occupying your mind!

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