Daily Gospel Chat | Jan 9 | Seek Him

Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually. -I Chronicles 16:11

A friend of mine who was in London during the worst of the World War II bombing attacks has given me a good idea of just how courageous the British were during those desperate times. And how indomitable. Once he recalled seeing a sign in an air-raid shelter that advised, If your knees are shaking, try kneeling. Now there are seven words worthy of stone because they offer wisdom good for any faith-testing ordeal.

My friend Elaine St. Johns wrote an unforgettable book with Dr. William Parker entitled Prayer Can Change Your Life, and it's true. "Someone has said, 'You are what you eat," the authors observe. "We have discovered that you are also what you pray." That's because prayer can transfigure us. It can make us strong when we are weak, decisive when we would dawdle, trusting when we are filled with doubt, courageous when immobilized by fear, hopeful when even a smidgen of optimism seems folly.

How can a simple prayer accomplish all those things? In truth, it is not our prayers, but our surrender to God's sovereignty that ushers in the change. When we pray, "Thy will be done," we open ourselves to a power that can help us deal with any difficulty, no matter how critical. The sign in the air-raid shelter is still good today: If your knees are shaking, try kneeling.

No words can bring us as near Thee As "Speak, Lord, Thy servants hear Thee." -Fred Bauer