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03-10-08 Prayer is Keeping Company with God!
“We’re having company tonight!”
“Company is coming this evening!”
Statements similar to these have echoed down the halls of our home many times. Voiced either by Linda or myself, these words were designed to provoke the girls to clean up their rooms, help with cleaning other areas or help to prepare something in the kitchen. Guests were coming! We wanted things to look right and we wanted refreshments for the occasion that brought us together. Everyone had to get involved because “Company was coming to our house!”
I read a very significant quote this week about “company with God!” The writer said,
“I don’t keep company with God to guarantee myself a happy life. I do it because I need God!”
What a statement! Those words just seemed to leap off the page at me and haven’t escaped my mind all day. What a profound impact they have made on me. As you can see, I want to pursue some thoughts about “being in company with God!” I believe you will find the thoughts worthy of your time and then your effort in putting them to work for you!
I want to share a side note before I continue:
I am writing this from Cleveland, Ohio; it’s Wednesday, March 5, 2008. What a day I’ve already had. Dr. McCann and I travel to the Baptist Mid-Mission Triannual meetings together and we usually book the same flights, stay at the same hotel, share a rental car….etc. Well, today we started out early from Winston-Salem to catch our flight. I left home around 4 am to pick him up.
Around 4:35 we were on the way to Greensboro to catch our 6:05 am flight to Detroit (then back to Cleveland). My cell phone rang and it was the airline telling me that our flight had been cancelled due to mechanical problems. I had been re-routed on another flight at 6:00 am to LaGuardia (NYC) wherein I would change to another carrier and hopefully arrive on time. Since the airline did not know that we were traveling together, Dr. McCann got routed another way. After some “minor debates” we finally prevailed and were both booked out together. (Greensboro to New York and then to Cleveland)
Would you believe that SSSS came up on my boarding pass? I came to find out that that particular code meant that I had been chosen for the “complete anti-terrorist work -up, complete shake down, massage and all…”
I looked over at Dr. McCann and he had been selected also. (same SSSS code) If you see that on your ticket, LOOK OUT! YOU’RE GONNA GET IT! We almost didn’t make the flight! “Last call” was heard as we hurriedly rushed down the terminal.
Finally seated on board, I began to whine as I often do, “Why me? Why today? Why this way? Lord, I just don’t know why You’ve allowed this to happen to me! After all, I’m attempting to some worthwhile missions work for you!”
I’m confident you never whine and never have a day like this one.
Then I realized I had plenty of room; in fact, the seat next to me was empty, PRAISE THE LORD! We actually had a good laugh about the entire morning.
My obvious conclusion from my day was rather simple:
How desperate I should be for engaging and enjoying the presence of God in every circumstance of my life! It dawned on me once again that my prayer life keeps me in company with God!
The more we welcome God into our thoughts and circumstances the more we will enjoy His “providing presence!” Once we infuse God into either the mundane or the difficult a new power comes. When the day doesn’t sail by smoothly and we long for direction and relief we should always pause for a minute and direct our thoughts toward God. I should learn that my happiness is not the most important thing. It is my closeness to God and my fellowship with Him!
- Prayer enables the individual to focus on God and not on the circumstances. It becomes very comforting to know that your prayer enables you to find God’s presence to be adequate for you. Whether the circumstance is mundane or troubling, He is there! We are taught to “give thanks in everything….” Repeatedly the Bible calls us to prayer and thanksgiving! Paul called on the believers at Thessalonica to “pray without ceasing…” (I Thessalonians 5:17)
- Prayers may not be the “formal kind” that you do in church on Sunday or the “thankful kind” that you offer before a meal; prayers may be just as simple as “Lord, You’ve got to help me because this airline doesn’t know what they’re doing!” (My prayer earlier today)
- Prayer involves an awareness of God’s presence in my life.
- Prayer inspires me because of God’s interest in my life.
- Prayer provides for me what God can do!
- Prayer enables me to find peace in my “storm tossed days”.
(I didn’t finish the story about Cleveland. We landed on the only clear runaway - all others were covered with snow, some 6 to 8 inches had fallen during the night. Temps were in the ‘20’s and the wind was blowing in a rather keen manner. In booking my car reservation, my secretary, Felicia had said “all SUV’s and 4 wheel drive vehicles have been booked; you don’t stand a chance.” But you know, there is a God in heaven that moved on Chastity’s heart at the Hertz desk and she said, “Give me 5” and I’ll have you a 4 wheel drive. The 5 was not 5 dollars but 5 minutes. We arrived safely and all is presently well. )
Prayer brings us into company with God! Try it, it really works!
Blessings as you “invite God into your company!”
Pastor Ed Sears
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