Prayer over pizza

Prayer is an amazing, holy and sacred thing.

But at the same time, if you've been around the church for a while, it can also be a very interesting and amusing thing!

Take the "announcement prayer"
"O Lord, bless the youth activity this Friday at the roller rink from 8 -10 pm, for which the youth can sign up at the table in the back immediately following the service and put down a ten dollar deposit. Bless also Lord the three chaperons that are also still needed for this event."

Then there's the "informational prayer" much like the announcement prayer only no sign up is required..."God we come to you about Mrs. Jones has tripped over her front porch step and fallen and broken her hip last Tuesday and is now in St. James hospital, room 307..."

Along with this type of informational prayer is also the "advice to God prayer"."..and Lord we pray that Mrs. Jones son Brian would come and see her and take care of her hospital bills. And we pray that you will heal her quickly so that she can be back in choir in time for the Easter Cantata."

And then there is the "speedy prayer" like my son prayed for dinner. At the speed of light he said (I think) "LordthankyouforthisgoodfoodinJesus'nameAmen"

How patient God is with us!

But back in the realm of the sacred, there is the prayer when you have no words. Psalms 38:9 says, "You know what I long for Lord, you hear my every sigh.", those prayers when you don't even know where to start or what to say or are so overwhelmed you can do little more than sigh. These are the prayers where we claim Romans 8:26 where we are assured that "when we don't know how to pray as we ought the Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered."

And then sometimes there is prayer like when I stopped to pray for my lunch. No sooner were my eyes closed than God brought several names to mind. I didn't stop to give God the pertinent information or tell Him what I think He should do for them (although there have been "informational" and "advice" giving prayers on their behalf previously). I simply brought their names to Him; what assurance that I can bring someone to the throne of grace and know that God is fully aware of their situation and what they most greatly need and is anxious to accomplish exactly that.

It was a prayer without words, not because I didn't have any, but because none were necessary.

It is prayer that recognizes that God is sovereign, that He is aware, and that He loves them more than I do and is going to take care of all their needs.

It was simple and it was God-honoring for it simply brought them before Him with full confidence in His ability to help, because, after all, He is God.

And my pizza was still hot when I was done.