Oh, Father

Members' Contributions

Day Two

Fil-UCC Prayer and Fasting
Emphasis Week | April 2017

Devotional for the Week:
THE POWER OF A SIMPLE PRAYER
by Max Lucado

Oh, Father

Reading

  1. Psalms 68:5-6
  2. 1 Corinthians 8:6
  3. Galatians 4:6

Do you ever take a moment to pray but feel like you stumble out of the gate? Do you have trouble finding the words when it comes time to bow your head? Remember, the One who hears your prayers is your Daddy. You don’t need to wow him with eloquence.

Jesus downplayed the importance of words in prayers. We tend to do the opposite. The more words the better. The better words the better. We focus on the appropriate prayer language, the latest prayer trend, the holiest prayer terminology. Against this emphasis on syllables and rituals, Jesus says, “Don’t ramble like heathens who . . . talk a lot” (Matt. 6:7 God’s Word).

Vocabulary and geography might impress people but not God. There is no panel of angelic judges with numbered cards. “Wow, Lucado, that prayer was a ten. God will certainly hear you!” “Oh, Lucado, you scored a two this morning. Go home and practice.” Prayers aren’t graded according to style.

Just as a happy child cannot mis-hug, the sincere heart cannot mis-pray. Heaven knows, life has enough burdens without the burden of praying correctly. If prayer depends on how I pray, I’m sunk. But if the power of prayer depends on the One who hears the prayer, and if the One who hears the prayer is my Daddy, then I have hope.

Prayer really is that simple. Resist the urge to complicate it. Don’t take pride in well-crafted prayers. Don’t apologize for incoherent prayers. No games. No cover-ups. Just be honest—honest to God. Climb into his lap. Tell him everything that is on your heart. Or tell him nothing at all.

Sometimes “Daddy” is all we can muster. Stress. Fear. Guilt. Grief. Demands on all sides. All we can summon is a plaintive “Oh, Father.” If so, that’s enough.

PRAYER ITEMS
MINISTRY OF OUTREACH

  1. Mission and Evangelism
  2. Committee Leaders
  3. Mission Partners
  4. Local and Foreign Mission
  5. Mission Trips
  6. Mission Challenge and Training
  7. Group Evangelism efforts
  8. Personal Evangelism
  9. Community Services
  10. Tracts distribution
  11. Ministry Tools and materials
  12. Specific: Winkler Brethren (Bible Study)

Special Prayer to the whole City of Winnipeg and neighboring towns – that God will open opportunities for the church to reach out sharing the Gospel, making connections for home bible studies and seed ministries.