Did You Know Prayer is a Privilege?

When I was the pastor at Ivey Memorial UMC, we had a music group that sang at many churches. It was a joy to sing with this group. One night one member of our group gave his testimony and shared how his mother prayed for him consistently without his knowledge. He went in many directions, but his mother kept praying for him. It was on her deathbed that he realized she had been praying for him throughout his life.

Chris Stapleton wrote and sang a song, “Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore.” The lyrics tell the reason the prayers ceased. It was his father’s death. Stapleton imagines how his father is no longer speaking with Jesus in prayer but is now walking and talking face-to-face with Jesus.

As King David’s life was fading away, he made preparations for his son, Solomon, to take over as the next king of Israel. David gathered the people together and prayed with them. He told his people about God’s faithfulness, and he prayed that his people would remain faithful to God. At the end of his prayer David asked God to “give my son, Solomon, the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands” (I Chronicles 29:19).

We, like the mother I told you about, and all of us, have the privilege to pray for our children and all those God has placed in our lives. We can faithfully pray that God will surround our loved ones, even after we are gone.

Prayer – Father, I bring my loved ones before You and ask that You work out Your plans in their lives. Amen.

I Chronicles 29:19 – “Give my son, Solomon, the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, statutes and decrees.”

By the Rev. Tommy Herndon
Images: Benjamin Child, courtesy of Unsplash & Chris Stapleton