Prayer As Preparation

Sermon by Pastor Corky Calhoun This Sunday we start a new series on "Prayer." Increasingly I am at meetings with Pastors, which by and large are a strange bunch of folks ( I am sure other vocational groups have strange members as well, but since this is my group I just need to call it like I see it). What makes it strange is that for people in the relationship business they seem to be awkward around each other. Honestly, I don't know what drives that, maybe the fear of competition or a hesitancy to be vulnerable. Conversations tend to be shallow and often times limited to complaining about the flock. Anyway, not long ago at one of these meetings a Pastor asks me one of the three questions always asked by one pastor to another..."what are you preaching on these days?" I shared that our emphasis this year had been on prayer and that we would soon begin our second series on this topic. His response was, "I can't think of anything more boring than a series on prayer." Yes he did, he actually said that! So I have been wondering...do we think prayer is boring? Is our communication with our God, who rescued us from sin and death more duty than delight? Is our encouragement to be in prayer once a month in the historic sanctuary more guilty obligation than anticipated expectation? I really do think prayer is one of the most vital and often one of the most neglected aspects of anyone's spiritual life. I never meet anyone who says "I am crushing my prayer life", but I speak to lots of people who wish their prayer life was better. This is what the next seven weeks will be about...the practice of prayer! So I hope you will join us and begin a journey to become prayer warriors in an age of darkness.