To pray or not to pray, that is the absurdity (standard:Inspirational stories, 906 words)
Author: Godspenman	Added: Jul 03 2011	Views/Reads: 3213/2	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Recently, a high school graduate wanted to include in her baccalaureate speech a prayer for her fellow graduates. I thought it was a rather nice gesture on her part. But certain people got wind of this and a nasty roar rose to the highest heavens. Certain

Occasionally, I hear about somebody objecting to prayer. Usually, it is
somebody who has no idea what he or she is talking about. It must be a 
slow news day when the media highlights this as one of their news 
stories. I guess nothing else is going on in the world demanding our 
attention. However, when someone suggests praying in public somebody 
always rises in open protest. After all, everybody knows how dangerous 
prayer really is. 

Recently, a high school graduate wanted to include in her baccalaureate
speech a prayer for her fellow graduates. I thought it was a rather 
nice gesture on her part. But certain people got wind of this and a 
nasty roar rose to the highest heavens. Certainly, public prayer is a 
violation of our constitutional rights, or so the objection went. 
Freedom of speech, obviously, covers everything but prayer, 
particularly prayer to the Christian God. 

If I know anything about high school graduates, they need all the prayer
they can get. After all, our government is not doing them any favors 
lately. If I were graduating from high school this year, I would want 
all the help I could get, including prayer. Most of them do not have a 
prayer of a chance of getting a job upon graduation. 

Certain people banter this notion of separation of church and state,
which had never entered the freedom loving minds of our forefathers. If 
anybody would take the time to read it carefully, our forefathers did 
not want the government to weld any influence over any church in this 
country. Unlike Europe from which they fled, there was to be no state 
church in America. Now, we have it backwards and the government is 
trying to influence religion in our country. They can't even balance a 
budget, yet they want to balance my spiritual life. 

If you ask me, the biggest religion in our country is politics. If you
do not think it is a religion, then carefully think again. Politics has 
all the accoutrements of religion right down to kissing someone's ring 
for some blessing. I think they call that lobbying. Every politician 
has a list of do's and don'ts, which, of course, changes depending on 
what audience he is talking to at the time. Then there is that St. 
Francis of Assisi smile that all politicians have perfected. 

Someone recently said to me, "I don't believe in religion." I am not
quite sure what he meant by that statement, and I am quite sure he did 
not know what he meant. All I can think of is somebody used that word 
in his presence and, like an infant hearing a word for the first time, 
goes around saying it, usually out of context. Some pontificate the 
idea that they are absolutely nonreligious. Of course, no such creature 
has ever walked on the face of God's earth. 

Those who boast of being nonreligious are absolutely religious in
propagating their non-religiousness. You will not find a more faithful 
congregation of people than those who claim to be nonreligious. If 
Christians were as religious as some of these nonreligious people, the 
church would be exploding today. 

Every person born of woman worships something or someone. If we do not
worship God, we are going to worship something else and some even go as 
far as to worship themselves. I think God Himself chuckles at this last 
category. Imagine, somebody actually worshiping himself. 

Prayer is one of those things that come natural to a person. Even those
who do not pray on a regular basis will pray when they get into 
trouble. They may not pray to God. They pray to somebody or something, 
which is the absurdity of it all. 

I find it rather amusing, but sad, that most people do not know whom
they are praying to. Everybody, if they have a sober and honest moment, 
recognizes that there is a power beyond them. If they do not recognize 
such a power, they assume they are that power. 

Those who do not recognize God have become a god unto themselves. I have
often wondered how these people pray to themselves. So, to help them 
out as much as possible, I have come up with a prayer for those who 
believe they are in fact God. 

"I am my own father, hallowed be my name. My kingdom come, my will be
done, on earth as it is in my dreams. I give myself this day my daily 
bread, and I foreclose on all my debts, as I have eluded my debtors. 
And I go right into temptation, because I really enjoy evil. For mine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for as long as I say so. 
Amen." 

It must be nice to pray to yourself. I would not know, because I have
never tried it. I have given myself a good talking to, but that sure is 
not prayer. 

The Bible says a lot about prayer. Some of my favorite quotes are, "Pray
without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV), "Is any among you 
afflicted? let him pray" (James 5:13a KJV), "Praying always with all 
prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all 
perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Ephesians 6:18 KJV). 

For me, the question is never to pray or not to pray. I enjoy my daily
time of prayer with my Father which art in heaven. 


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