PRAYER – DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

          It’s September already. Vacations all completed. Kids back to school.  My goodness, how did summer fly by so quickly?  September means that we are also returning to our regular worship service schedule.  The choir will be back (I can just hear you all cheering!!!!), my regular sermons will commence (wait, I don’t hear any cheers!), and children’s Sunday School will occur during worship this year. We’ll kick it all off with a great breakfast at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 7^th.  You don’t want to miss that.

          I am also REALLY EXCITED about something I am planning in conjunction with the Adult Education Ministry Team.  Starting at the end of the month we will begin a six week study on prayer.  We will be using Philip Yancy’s small group material entitled, “Prayer: Does it Make Any Difference?”  Once again, like a couple of years ago, we will be encouraging you to sign up for a small group so we can all engage in study on this important topic.

          Have you ever wondered about whether prayer was worthwhile?  Or, why do we pray if God already knows everything? Or, does God really care about me? Or, does God really answer prayer and if God does answer prayer – how can I best understand his answer? Or, how can I make my prayer life more meaningful?

          We say that prayer is one of the most important cornerstones of our faith – yet our experience of prayer suggests otherwise.  Any time Jesus had an important decision to make, he prayed.  Jesus prayed for strength, for courage, for wisdom, for understanding, for direction. We should do no less.

          It is not that we don’t want to pray … it is just that sometimes it seems that God is so far away.  Or maybe it is just that we feel foolish trying to talk to someone we can’t see, touch, or smell (smell???).  Or maybe we think we don’t know how to pray – that the words we use just aren’t adequate.  Some of us get into ruts – we say the same things night after night, morning after morning. 

          Well, it is time to change all that.  Prayer is one of the absolute keys to our relationship with God.  We can’t be close to a God we never talk to or, as importantly, listen to.

          Like I said earlier, later this month we will be asking you to sign up for one of a variety of small groups. We hope to have lots of different times and days to choose from. Some of you we will ask to be small group leaders (or you can volunteer).  The format will be simple.  There is a workbook, a DVD, and lots of time for discussion.  And then I will try and tie it all together on Sunday. 

          I do hope that you will actively participate in this important campaign.  You’ll be glad you did!  Have a great month and as always, I’ll see you on Sunday, right???!!!

Pastor Tom