A Man of Constant Prayer

My personal prayer guide, the one who taught me about prayer and about personal prayer life, was Tevye.

He was a man of constant prayer. 
Oh, no, he did not go into a dark room and light a candle and recite holy mantras,
no, he did not engage in long prayers with big learned words,
no, he did not wait for a quiet time when he could be still and know God.

One of my very favorite writers is Anne Lamott.

Anne Lamott, Tevye, and James are all part of the same school. 
And we should pay attention to what they say and their understanding of prayer.


James 5: 13-16

One of my very favorite writers is Anne Lamott.
Anne Lamott lives near where Suzanne and I lived in Northern California just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco.

Anne Lamott makes her living writing and teaching others how to write.
She writes novels and many fine personal essays on events that happen in her life that take on cosmic significance.

She once wrote:
I try to write the books I would love to come upon, that are honest, concerned with real lives,
human hearts,
spiritual transformation,
families,
secrets, wonder, craziness —
and that can make me laugh.
When I am reading a book like this,
I feel rich and profoundly relieved to be in the presence of someone who will share the truth with me,
and throw the lights on a little,
and I try to write these kinds of books.
And, that’s what I feel when I read her writing.
She continues:  Books, for me, are medicine.

Anne Lamott’s life was not an easy one.
It is involves surviving bouts with drugs and booze,  hard-living and depression.
Finding herself pregnant at the age of 35, she writes about finding the local Presbyterian Church – the same one I worshiped in many times when we lived there.

About that experience, she writes about how she week after week after week, she would show up at the door of the church right as the service was beginning; but, would not enter the room.
Week after week she stood there listening to what was going on inside, observing the people, listening to the preacher.

She did eventually enter the room, and was warmly greeted and accepted by all – despite her strange looks, her odd dress, her big belly, and her lack of a marital partner.

She credits the people of that congregation of helping her to raise her son. 
She tells of the gray-headed ladies doting over the baby, and eager to provide relationships for him through the years.
Now 20, with a son of his own, her son Sam, considers the folks of that congregation as his extended family.

And she writes about how this church has helped her with her faith journey.
She first wrote about this in a book she called:
    Traveling Mercies : Some Thoughts on Faith
A few years later, she published Plan B : Further Thoughts on Faith.
And soon her latest book will be published with the title:
Three Essential Prayers: Help, Thanks, Wow!

She describes three kinds of prayers that really can enhance our lives – if and when we do them.

Anne Lamott begins with the premise the prayer
“is communication from the heart to that which surpasses understanding . . .
communication from one’s heart to God.”

I have admitted several times that my personal prayer guide, the one who taught me about prayer and about personal prayer life, was Tevye (?) – the lead character of Fiddler On the Roof !
Throughout the whole play,
throughout the whole movie,
Tevye demonstrated to us – the audience, the reader, the viewer -
there was absolutely nothing in his life that was devoid of God’s involvement.
He was a man of constant prayer. 
Oh, no, he did not go into a dark room and light a candle and recite holy mantras,
no, he did not engage in long prayers with big learned words,
no, he did not wait for a quiet time when he could be still and know God.
No.
Tevye prayed when his horse went lame.
Tavye prayed when his daughter and the town butcher wanted to get married.
Tevye prayed when he and his family were moved out of their historic village.
Tevye lived his life in constant prayer.
“I am a man of constant sorrow,” the song goes.
Tevye was a man of constant prayer.
(That ought to the title and topic of a song!)

And, I believe, Anne Lamott is a product of the Tevye school, as well.
She writes of one type of prayer:
“When we are stunned to the place beyond words... when all we can say in response is ‘Wow!’
that’s a prayer.”

But, I am also sure that Anne Lamott was influenced by the Presbyterian Church she attends.
Where, no doubt, she has read and heard the Bible read.

Ever since the first century, or so, Christian believers have paid attention to this short document we have in our Bible known as the Book of James.

Anne Lamott, Tevye, and James are all part of the same school. 
And we should pay attention to what they say and their understanding of prayer.

The Book of James says, when you find yourself in times of trouble, pray.

Of course, it is easy for us to neglect this spiritual gift, isn’t it?
You are I are richly blessed by having been taught about the power of prayer.
It may have started early in your life, when you learned a prayer before bedtime.
Maybe a Sunday school teacher taught you a prayer to say before a meal.
Our worship service begins and ends in prayer.
It is an essential part of our lives.

Prayer has healing power because it is the practice of entering into the presence of God.

We think of prayer only as a means of getting something for ourselves.

Prayer is also a means of giving ourselves to God.

Jesus realized the power of prayer.
It was an important part of his life.
When he was overworked, he sought a quiet place to get away and pray.
When he was afraid of the future, he went off to pray.
When he was disappointed, he sought comfort in prayer.

Prayer helps us deal with our frustration and anger.

Have you ever been so angry with someone that you couldn't stop thinking about it?
A preacher friend offers an antidote to that anger:
Don't pray to stop being angry.
Instead, pray that good things will come to that person who has angered you.
Pray for his welfare.
Pray for blessings to rain upon her.
Amazingly you will feel the hurt and anger drift away.
The obsession with revenge and retribution will dissipate.
That's the power of prayer.
Jesus says that our own welfare depends upon our ability to forgive:
"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins" (Matthew 11:25).

The fact is, most Americans do pray.
A recent survey reports that 78% of Americans pray at least once a week - 
57% say they pray daily.

Current books in print list almost 2,000 titles on prayer, meditation, and spiritual growth.
After the Bible, books on prayer are among the biggest sellers.

A Newsweek article tells about a 31-year-old woman who drops to her knees at her front door each morning before rushing off to her job as a bakery representative;
and a seventy-year-old bank vice president who prays for twenty minutes while on his stationary bicycle.
A 53-year-old man who prays five times a day says, "I don't look for anything miraculous to happen.
The miracle is being able to speak directly to your maker."

James' first antidote: When you're in trouble, pray!

James also says, "when you're sick, seek the prayers of your friends."
There is strength and power in seeking the support, the comfort, and the nurturing of like-minded fellow believers.

Now, I don’t base the efficacy of corporate prayer on the findings of scientific studies;
But it is interesting to note that several double blind studies have indicated that sick individuals for whom a group of believers have prayed have recovered more rapidly and more completely than those for whom no prayers were raised.
This occurred even though the individuals did not know that they were being prayed for.

Cardiologist Dr. Randolph Byrd conducted a study of 393 coronary patients.
They were divided into two groups.
One group would be the beneficiaries of prayer and the other would not.
No one knew which group the patients were in.
The prayer groups were simply given the first names of the patients, along with brief descriptions of their medical problems.
When the study was completed ten months later, the prayed-for patients benefited in several areas: they were five times less likely to require antibiotics; they were two and a half times less likely to suffer congestive heart failure;
they were less likely to suffer cardiac arrest.

An edition of American Scientist magazine included the article "The Revival of Experiments on Prayer" by Keith Stewart Thomson, former president of the Academy of Natural Sciences.
In the article he wrote, "Evidence is growing that the experience of sharing prayer with friends has a powerful effect on health outcomes.
These benefits are susceptible to explanations that do not necessarily involve the direct intervention of God."
Thomson goes on to note the biblical relationship between prayer and faith or "believing."
Notice that Jesus tells his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer,
believe that you have received it,
and it will be yours" (Matthew 11:24).

James tell us that when we ask God for anything we must ask in faith:
But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
- James 1:6-7

The second antidote is this: "When you are sick, seek the prayers of your friends."

The last antidote, which James offers, is "When you have sinned, 'fess up."

Alcoholics Anonymous has long recognized that repressed and un-admitted guilt leads to deeper and deeper trouble and despair.
When an alcoholic keeps certain facts hidden, it feeds the compulsion to get drunk.
Recovery involves an honest self-evaluation and a public confession of character defects and shortcomings.
With that confession comes relief, forgiveness, healing.

For sure, it's not easy to confess our weaknesses, is it?
It is not easy to say, "I was wrong."
There is something in each of us that insists on being right
and believing that it is always someone else's fault, right?
It really takes great courage to admit failure,
to confess a defect or shortcoming.
But such confessions are part of our spiritual healing and well-being.
Unconfessed guilt festers within us.
It produces impatience,      rage,      even ill health.
It destroys friendships and leads to isolation and hostility.
We are much more likely to appreciate and respect the person who humbly confesses his guilt than the self-righteous individual who professes to be flawless.

The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector."
And Jesus said, "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."   - Luke 18:11, 14b

The biblical message from the book of James gives sound advice, offering antidotes to life's problems.
When you experience trouble, pray.
When you are ill, seek prayer from your friends.
When you’re happy, sing!
When you do something wrong, ‘fess up.

Anne Lamott writes:
acknowledge when you need help – our faith puts us in tune with the ultimate power of the universe;
always, always, be quick with the thanks when things go right;
and when you experience a “Wow” moment – remember the source –
and the more often you do acknowledge the source, the more “wow” moments you will have.

Tevye (and I) (and yes, the Apostle Paul) say:
pray constantly at all times, in all things, all-ways.

James reminds us that prayer has powerful effect.
And, the great thing is. 
You can test this out for yourself.

Remember Tevye. 
Live a day in constant prayer.
 
There are many opportunities for prayer.
 
I have seen lives change.
Attitudes changes. 
Health change.
Understandings change.
Prayer has powerful effect.
 
Try it.
 
Amen. 

The Congregation of Christ Presbyterian Church in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA, heard this sermon during a worship service October 14, 2012.

You Can Live Your Life to the Max - Its A Matter of Prayer

 God surrounds us with love every moment of our life.
There is power in this love.
And there is a standing offer of friendship and communication on God's side.
All we have to do is risk believing in the offer and open ourselves to God's welcoming Presence. When we do that, we have begun to pray.

Enjoying something fully –
even something as basic as food, drink, a bath or shower, a hug, a nap –
if it is done with an awareness of God, can be prayer.


From the Ancient Texts:  Habakkuk 3:2,17-19
From the Early Church: James 5:13-18


There you go, James said it:
The prayer of a good  person has a powerful affect.

The Apostle Paul said: Pray Unceasingly.

Jesus said: When you pray, do not be ostentatious, like the hypocrites!
Do it in private and don't use a lot of meaningless words.
(God already knows what you need before you ask.)
If you forgive others, you will be forgiven.

Maybe you saw the cartoon in the funny papers:
Two little kids were standing there in their pajamas beside their bed with a toy telephone between them.
One is instructing the other in the finer arts of saying their bedtime prayers.
He says: "Now, remember you don't have to worry about God being too busy when you call, because he has "Call Waiting".

And you don't have to worry about him not being home, because he has "Call Forwarding".

And remember, it's always a Toll Free Call.

And God never puts anyone "On Hold."

"Don't hang up, your call will be answered in the order in which it is received.

And Operators are standing by ready for your call." And that's about it, isn't it?

Some time ago, I was intrigued by a report of a study that was done by health-care researchers.
They surveyed a lot of people over a long period of time and asked them various questions over the years –  questions relating to their life-style and to their health.

One of the life-style questions concerned whether or not they went to church recently, and how often.

And you know, one of the completely unexpected conclusions of that study was that people who go to church regularly were healthier, over all, than people who did not.

And people who go to church regularly, lived longer, over all, than people who did not.

Now, I thought that was really interesting, and it confirmed what I have observed in many churches over quite a few years now,
and I had some hunches why this may be so.
And so, for some twenty years or so, I have been engaged in a low-impact research project:
reading reports,
collecting data from studies in several fields of inquiry,
cataloging anecdotal evidence from a myriad of sources,
and studying what literature may be available on the subject.
Because, while it may be that we take a lot of these things for granted,
there are a lot of folks who never darken the doorway of this church,
who may like to hear what we have to say,
and may be seeking what we have to offer.

So I put together this series of sermons to share with you the results of some of this research –  sermons that having been focusing on living the max-life that Jesus said he came for, after all.

Now, I don't mean to suggest that people who go to church, don't get sick, we do.

And I don't mean to suggest that people who go to church won't die, we do.

Going to church is not a guarantee,
it is more like an insurance policy that pays dividends on a daily basis,
and promises an ultimate payoff in the end.

Today, I want to talk about the power of prayer.

James proclaims, what most of you know: The prayer of a good person has a powerful affect.

To date there have been nearly 1000 scientific studies on the effects of prayer. 
Over half of these studies show that under laboratory-controlled conditions, prayer does something truly remarkable.
While the belief that prayer heals is older than recorded history, you should know about some of this research of the last few years.

One study at the University of Virginia, showed that orthopedic patients in the hospital that were visited by chaplains needed less medical care than those that weren't visited by chaplains.
They made two thirds fewer calls to the nurse for help,
and they got out of the hospital an average of two days earlier than those who didn't receive spiritual support.
And those same patients needed 66% less pain medication, than those who never saw a chaplain.

Another study was done among more than 700 coronary patients in a VA hospital near Boston. Patients were undergoing care for heart attack and chronic heart disease, and endured bypass operations, valve replacements, and open heart surgery.
An experimental group was selected randomly to receive daily visits from a chaplain.
The other group received less frequent visits, or none at all.
Again, those who received regular care from a pastor, went home one or two days sooner than those who did not.
Now, the VA attached some dollars and cents to this study, and concluded that providing a chaplain visit for a patient cost no more than $100 a day, and resulted in savings as much as $4000 a day.
Total savings from a robust and prayerful chaplain's program could amount to several million dollars a year for each hospital.

Another study was done at San Francisco General Hospital of about 400 people who were admitted to the coronary care unit suffering congestive heart failure, heart attack, low blood pressure and other heart problems.

Half of these patients were assigned to a group of regular churchgoers who were asked to pray regularly for the health and recovery of the patients –  whom they never met.

None of the patients, none of the doctors, none of the nurses, knew they were on anyone's prayer list. And what they found out was startling:

the patients that were prayed for were far less likely to require antibiotics,
they had fewer infections from their surgery.
A dozen of the patients who were not prayed for required mechanical breathing support following the surgery,
and remarkably, none of those who were being prayed for needed help with breathing.
(Fewer of those chosen for prayer died –  but the difference wasn't statistically significant.)
The results of this study caused quite a stir when they were published in the Southern Medical Journal.
One physician at the time wrote: "Maybe we doctors ought to be writing on our order sheets, 'Pray three times a day.'"

I am sure that if this study went one step further, and told the patients they were being prayed for, the results would have been even more dramatic.

As some of you know, from your experience, there is something invigorating knowing that you are being prayed for.
Knowing that you are connected to a network of prayers is bouying to your soul –  and it brings peace and confidence.

Prayer works.

The prayer of a good person has a powerful affect.

Measurements show that a hospital visit by a pastor reduces stress hormones, produces a calming effect, and stimulates the production of endorphins in the patient.

Now, understand what is being said here.
Bad things happen to good people.
Good people get ill.
Bodies wear out.
Accidents happen.
Good people die.
But, prayer lets you face your illness squarely, actually producing a strength in your body and psyche to face your situation and get through it. Prayer prepares you for what is to come.

The prayer of a good person has a powerful affect.

It may not change the situation we find ourselves in and may not give us the miracle we want,
but what happens is,
prayer changes us.
As one writer put it well, "Through prayer, we find inner resources of strength and hope and courage we didn't know we had.

Through prayer we are no longer facing our fears and pains alone;
God is there beside us, renewing our spirit, restoring our soul, and helping us carry the burden when it becomes too heavy for us to bear."

Prayer has a powerful affect: on our bodies, on our minds, on our lives.
To really clue in,
to really experience change,
to really know what prayer can do for us,
Paul tells us, to "Pray unceasingly."

What does that mean?
Standing at a prayer wall all day from morning to night?
Kneeling at the foot of the cross 24 hours a day?
Reciting a mantra over and over and over again?
No.
Pray unceasingly means to live in a state of prayerfulness.
Wherever you are,
whatever you are doing,
whatever is going on around you,
know that God is with you,
and is in conversation with you –
helping you through the events,
guiding the way,
providing strength and support you know you never had alone.

Do you remember Fiddler on the Roof?
In this marvelous story, you remember the old man, the papa, Tevye, was constantly talking to God.
(Tevye is my prayer mentor.)
There was a comedic effect as he constantly was getting his Bible facts confused,
but here he is in constant prayer with the Almighty.
He prayed when he delivered his milk,
he prayed when his wife got on his nerves,
he prayed when he rejoiced with a daughter,
he prayed when he met people.
Prayer helped him get through the difficulties and tragedies and joys of his life.
O, for sure, God didn't "smite him with riches" as he jokingly talked to God about, but Tevye didn't really expect that to happen.

The point is: There was never a moment when Tevye did not know that God was with him.

Tevye was sure and certain of his relationship with God.
And gives clues to us as well.

There is an ancient parable that speaks to our situation.

There were a bunch of fish swimming in the sea. And this rather young fish swam up to an older and wiser looking fish and asked, "Pardon me, but I have heard of this wonderful place called the Ocean where all manner of living creatures and colorful things live?
I have decided to go there where life is much richer. I have been searching everywhere.
Can you help me find the way?"

The older fish said, "Son, This is it!
You're in the ocean now.
It doesn't get any better than this.
This is the ocean."

The young fish put his nose up, and said, "Silly old man, what do you know. This is only water.
I'm looking for the ocean."
And off he swam to continue his search.

It takes a wise fish indeed to perceive the ocean in which it lives.
Not knowing a life outside the ocean, it is hard for it to see the environment in which it lives.
Like the fish, whose relationship with the ocean is a given, so is our relationship with God.

God surrounds us with love every moment of our life.
There is power in this love.
And there is a standing offer of friendship and communication on God's side.
All we have to do is risk believing in the offer and open ourselves to God's welcoming Presence. When we do that, we have begun to pray.

As Tevye did.

As James did.

As Paul did.

As Jesus did.

Prayer can take many forms –  sometimes we attempt to communicate in a communal way, like we do here in church;

sometimes we attempt to communicate in a personal way behind closed doors;

sometimes we attempt to communicate in a traditional way by using words that have inspired people through the ages.

But, praying unceasingly means doing it right in the midst of our daily activities.
Whether we are writing a letter,
playing golf,
talking with someone on the telephone,
bandaging a a bruised knee,
or challenging an unjust policy,
we make it all prayerful by recognizing the presence of God with us in what we do,
when we do it,
where we do it.
Our prayer can start from our work,
the important relationships of our lives,
the things we wonder at,
the restlessness and loneliness of our hearts,
our experiences of success and satisfaction,
a painful conversation,
a recent gift of love.

We meet God daily in all we do and all we see.
Our prayer rises spontaneously in the presence of mountains or sea,
in park or woods,
at sunrise or sunset,
on fishing and camping trips,
at the sight of beautiful flowers, birds, animals, or persons.
Enjoying something fully –
even something as basic as food, drink, a bath or shower, a hug, a nap –
if it is done with an awareness of God, can be prayer.

If you feel at a loss as to where to start a prayer, ask yourself what you enjoy,
what you marvel at,
what you struggle with,
what you suffer from.
God is in the depth of things.

Whenever movement and energy is in our lives is where engagement with God is taking place.
Pray unceasingly.

Sometimes prayer is spending time with a friend.

We are made for a relationship with God, and the hunger for this relationship lurks in our souls as a yearning.

If we take this yearning seriously, we turn to prayer   as naturally as a flower turns toward the sun or reaches it roots for water.

The heart of prayer is the awareness that the Source of our lives supports us right where we are. We are loved.
And the gift of life, moment to moment, is a lover's gift –  and an invitation to friendship.

Now, in case you haven't gotten it yet, write this down and take it with you: Prayer is simply being together with God.

Acknowledging that you are always in God's presence.

Prayer is mutual awareness and the quiet exchange, as when two friends sit before a fire.

Prayer involves exchange.
Just knowing that the power of the infinite surrounds us in all we do, we offer an effort to live a good life.

We give to God our human loves and our daily chores.

We give to God our small efforts to create a better world.
We share with God all our concerns,
for that is what friends do, isn't it?

Most of us live busy lives, and when we pray unceasingly, much of our prayer takes place on the run.
Whether we operate machinery,
change diapers and wash dishes,
or grapple with problems at a desk or on a phone, we too can have those moments of heightened awareness and greater exchange with the Mystery that is always right where we are.
We have people, concerns, and appreciations to hold up to God as we bathe and dress,
as we drive from place to place,
as we stand in the line at the bank or grocery store, as we wrestle with our responsibilities,
and as we relax with our friends.

Friends, the prayer of a good person has a powerful affect.
In God we live and have our being, and prayer is as natural as breathing.
We come as we are.
God is already present.
As soon as we tune in, the exchange begins.
It is usually quiet and low-key, but something profound is happening.

Many of you in this room can attest to the veracity of the words of James: The prayer of a good person has a powerful affect.
Prayer has an affect on others,
and prayer changes you.
Pray unceasingly.
Experience for yourself, the healing power of prayer.
And you will be well on your way to living a fuller life – a max-life.

Amen.

The congregation of Christ Presbyterian Church in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA, heard this sermon during a worship service November 13, 2011.