THE FORCE OF FAMILY PRAYER
Paul of old declared to Timothy: "This know also, that in the last
days perilous times shall come."
He said nothing of atomic bombs or
intercontinental missiles or
death-dealing submarines. Rather, the
times shall be perilous because
"men shall be lovers of their own selves,
...blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful,...without
natural affection,...despisers
of those that are good." (2 Timothy 3:l-3).
Honesty, character, and integrity do not come of legislation or
police action. Only as
we build back into the fiber of lives the virtues
that are the essence of true
civilization will the pattern of our times
change. That building process
must begin in the homes of the people.
It must begin with recognition
of God as our Eternal Father and of our
relationship to him as his children,
with communication with him in
recognition of his sovereign
position, and in supplication for his guidance
in our affairs.
Prayer, family prayer in the homes of this and other lands, is one
of the simple medicines that
would check the dread disease that has
eroded the fiber of our character.
It is as simple as sunshine and would
be as effective in curing our
malady. We could not expect a miracle in a
day, but in a generation we would
have a miracle.
I feel satisfied that there is no adequate substitute for the morning
and evening practice of kneeling
together--father, mother, and children.
This, more than heavy carpets,
more than lovely draperies, more than
cleverly balanced color schemes,
is the thing that will make for better
and more beautiful homes.
In remembering together before the Lord
the poor, the needy, and the
oppressed, there is developed, unconsciously
but realistically, a love for
others above self, a respect for others, a desire
to serve the needs of others.
One cannot ask God to help a neighbor in
distress without feeling motivated
to do something toward helping that
neighbor. What miracles
would happen in the lives of the children of
America, and of the world, if
they would lay aside their own selfishness
and lose themselves in the service
of others. The seed from which this
sheltering and fruitful tree
may grow is best planted and nutured in the
daily supplications of the family.
I know of no better way to inculcate
love for country than for parents
to pray before their children for the
president and
the congress or the queen and the parliament of the land
of their citizenship.
On billboards in some of our cities a statement read, "A nation at
prayer is a nation at peace."
I believe this. I hope this is more then a
catchy motto. I am satisfied
that we shall not have peace unless and
until we request it in the name
of the Prince of Peace.
I know of nothing that will ease family tensions, that in a subtle
way will bring about the respect
for parents which leads to obedience,
that will affect the spirit of
repentance which will largely erase the blight
of broken homes, than will praying
together, confessing weaknesses
together before the Lord, and
invoking the blessing of the Lord upon
the home and those who dwell
there.
I have been impressed by a statement made by James H. Moyle,
who wrote to his grandchildren
concerning the family prayer of his own
home: "We have not gone
to bed before kneeling in prayer to supplicate
divine guidance and approval.
Differences may arise in the best governed
families, but they will be dissipated
by the spirit of prayer...Its very
psychology tends to promote the
more righteous life among men. It tends
to unity, love, forgiveness,
to service."
We have reached the tragic point in our history where evidently
we cannot invoke the blessings
of God in our schools, but we can pray
in our homes. The family
is the unit of society. The praying family is
the hope of
a better society.
Some time ago I was touched by the heartbreaking statement of
a young missionary in Japan.
He said, "I have been here for months. I
can't learn the language.
I dislike the people. I am depressed by day
and weep at night. I wrote
my mother and pleaded for an excuse to
return home. I have her
reply. She says: 'We're praying for you. There
is not a day passes that all
of us do not kneel together in the morning
before we eat, and in the evening
before we retire, and plead with the
Lord for his blessing upon you.
We have added fasting to our prayer,
and when your younger brothers
and sisters pray they say, "Heavenly
Father, bless Johnny in Japan
and help him to learn the language and
do the work he was called to
do."'"
This young man then went on to say through his tears, "I will try
again. I will add my prayers
to theirs and my fasting to their fasting."
Four months later he wrote a letter in which he said, "A miracle
has happened. The language
has come to me as a gift from the Lord.
I have learned to love the people
in this beautiful land. God be thanked
for the prayers of my family."
Can we make our homes more beautiful? Yes, through addressing
ourselves as families to the
source of all true beauty. Can we strengthen
our society and make it a better
place in which to live? Yes, by
strengthening the virtue of our
family life through kneeling together
and supplicating the Almighty
in the name of his Beloved Son.
This simple practice, a return to family worship, spreading across
the land and over the earth,
would in a generation largely lift the blight
that is destroying us, and it
would restore integrity, mutual respect, and
a spirit of thankfulness in the
hearts of the people.
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