Prayer: It does work - Bro Terry J.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.  Mark 1-35

How many times have you heard your preacher tell you to pray? Plenty.  How many times do we say, 'Oh yeah! it might work for you but I'm not having much luck with it.' ?  Most of the time our unanswered prayer is the result of our own attitude towards prayer. We don't believe that God would do for us as He does for some others.

Look at the neighbours.  They have a lovely 5 bedroom house and a holiday house while I'm still renting. Why can't I have a big house too? As we see in our verse, Jesus went to a solitary place to pray. How about us?  What do we do? if we are lucky we might rush a few words as soon as we wake up and say to the Lord, 'Sorry, You know what it's like in this house.  Everyone is so busy.  I don't have time.'

How many times have I heard that?  'I don't have time.'  We go to mass on Sundays and we are clock watching. Ooh Father took so long today, the mass was 45 minutes, too long. Rr we go to the prayer meeting and think I wish Brother wouldn't talk too much - I'm hungry, that food looked so good when I passed it coming in to the meeting i wish he would hurry up.

How much time do you give the Lord? Only minutes during the whole week, but we expect Him to answer our call instantaneously. Right?
We must realise that it's when we give we receive. Give time to God and He will answer your prayers.

As a kid growing up every night after dinner mum would say, 'Ok it's God's turn now let's go'.  And we would kneel around Mum and Dad's bed. All told there were 9 of us. Mum would lead the prayer and then we would say the rosary together. So we had our private prayer our family prayer and our community prayer at Mass.

I can remember one day Dad coming home and saying to Mum, 'Well, darling, this is it',  holding up a ten shilling note, one dollar in our money, 'That's all I have left.  Go and put on your best dress we're going out to the movies.'

My eldest brother worked at the cinema house so he got on his bike went to the ticket office and asked the attendant to give Dad two of the best seats and he would pay for them on pay day. He also organised a box of chocolates for Mum. So the night was a success, and when Dad came home, he still had his ten shillings. Mum said to him, 'See.  Trust the Lord and anything can happen.' Next morning a big black car arrived at our house and the town's most undesirable character knocked on our front door. Dad was a little apprehensive but smiled and said, 'How can I help you?'    'No, Mr Jones. It is I who will help you. I'm so very sorry 3 years ago, you did some painting for me and I never paid you. Here is the 300 pounds plus another 100 and please accept my apology.'  And he was gone. Well, in today's currency that would be about $400,000 plus. The point I'm trying to make is if you give time to God, He gives to you. Take the time, make the time to spend with God and make it quality time. Go to your quiet place and speak to Him as your best friend. Empty yourself unto Him, and let Him do His part.

Lord right now please accept my apology for neglecting you so many times.  I am sorry.  Please forgive me. I will try my best this new year to be with You in everything I do and say,  Holy Spirit of God, empower me now, give me the strength, the courage and the boldness to do what You want me to do.  I'm Yours, Lord.

Copyright 2009 Bro Terry Jones, Caboolture, QLD