The PRAYERwerks: Meek & Mild? Not!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Meek & Mild? Not!

Lord Christ,

I've been unduly influenced by the famous hymn "Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild." That was not your demeanor at dinner with the Pharisees in chapter eleven of Luke. (Luke 11:37-54)

It seems that you embarrassed the host and insulted the guests. There was nothing meek and mild about your six woes rebuke of the "greedy, wicked" church leaders:

You keep meticulous account books...but manage to find loopholes for getting around basic matters of justice and God’s love. (v42, The Message)

You load people down with rules and regulations...but never lift even a finger to help. (v46)

Would I get the same verbal beat down if you came to my cookout?

Woe to your hypocrisy, double standards and discrimination. Woe to you seekers of status and comfort.

Turn both your pockets and your hearts inside out and give generously to the poor... (v41)

Message received. Amen.

Artwork credit
Scripture Union, Polite Company?
Charles Wesley's Gentle Jesus, Meel & Mild

I admire people who can pray spontaneously, but there’s something to be said for word craft, especially when the words are offered to the Lord.

The PRAYERwerks is my attempt to assemble the components of prayer: Praise. Gratitude. Confession. Repentance. Intercession. Humility. Authenticity. The result: A connection with the presence and power of God.

(There’s a significant omission from the list above: silence before the Lord and listening for his voice. I can’t really assist with that on the Internet other than to remind you of its importance!)

I'm publishing my prayers on the web because we can’t get enough…offer enough…speak enough…internalize enough PRAYER. As St. Paul advised the Thessalonians “PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.” This is my modest contribution to the cause.

Here’s a disclaimer: I may "sample" ideas and language from my daily Bible study - Encounter with God - from Scripture Union USA, and the other resources listed below on the sidebar. Some might consider it plagiarism. I prefer to think of it as improvisation, and I attempt to give the authors and expositors credit.

Thanks for visiting The PRAYERwerks.

G.W. Habel
Durham NC, USA

I only pray when I'm in trouble. But I'm in trouble all the time, so I always pray.

Isaac Bashevis Singer

Nobel Laureate

Prayer is eternity in the midst of mortality, life among death, hope amidst despair, true promise surrounded by lies. So let us pray unceasingly.

Henri Nouwen

One way to make sure that your heart is in tune with God is to pray often. The more you talk to God, the more he will talk to you.

Family Christian Press

Prayer names how God becomes present to us and how we participate in that presence by praying for others.

Stanley Hauerwas
Duke University
From Hannah’s Child