C132 3/30/58
© Project Winsome International, 2000

"PRAYER CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE"
Dr. John Allan Lavender
Mark 1:21-35

If you are looking for the secret of Jesus' amazing peace and composure in the face of almost inconceivable demands upon his time and strength, it is unnecessary to look any further than our text. With characteristic directness, Mark goes right to the heart of the matter with this simple, but revealing, sentence,

"And in the morning rising up a great while before day, (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed."

In the preceding 14 verses Mark had described, "a typical day in the life of Jesus." A day of such ceaseless activity it almost leaves us breathless. A day when, according to Mark, "there was not leisure so much as to eat" (Mark 6:31).

A day in which Jesus labored long into the night for, according to Luke, who also records these events, "when the sun was setting...all they that had any sickness with divers diseases brought them unto him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them" (Luke 4:40).

We do not need a very active imagination to conceive of the immense drain that a day of such ceaseless service must have made upon the physical, emotional, and spiritual energy of Jesus. And then, immediately following this description of "a typical day in the life of Jesus" we find this simple, but succinct sentence:

"And in the morning rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed."

I cannot imagine a word with more meaning for us today than this statement regarding the secret of Jesus' composure. We live in a time and place in history where the stress and strain of life are particularly acute. And, if we want a similar serenity of soul, an inner poise that will carry us confidently through the tasks of the day -- if we want to experience the carefree composure which kept Christ calm in the face of stupendous strain and, what is more, made him a reservoir of serenity and strength to everyone he met -- if we are going to have his peace then we must followhis practice. We, too, must learn to draw heavily upon the stabilizing, satisfying, refreshing power of prayer.

They say "a picture is worth a thousand words." I believe it. So this morning, I want to use a picture -- drawn not by brush or pen -- but a picture drawn with words (a kind of present day parable) as the center of my sermon. To me, it describes in a graphic, lucid and easily remembered way, the heart and soul of prayer.

But before the parable, let me take a moment to set down a few ground rules which I have found helpful in making prayer effective in my life.

An Exercise in Honesty
To begin with, Prayer Can Change Your Life if you are willing to make it an exercise in honesty. That means fearlessly, earnestly and wholeheartedly laying your life bare before God and yourself.

Last week I said,
"Don't be afraid to talk it over with God.
He knows it all anyway -- and understands."
But you cannot be honest with God, unless you are first honest with yourself.

There is no deception quite so dangerous as self-deception. It's true that God knows your heart. He knows the secret sins which lurk down deep within the hidden caverns of your soul. But it's not until you see your sins -- until you recognize your need, until you go through the painful process of digging up, looking at, admitting to and getting rid of the reeking rubbish of hatred and fear, guilt and resentment, anxiety and frustration that imprisoned you -- it's not until then that you can know the pure, pacifying peace Christ promised.

In other words, you must quit kidding yourself. You must cease believing the mask of pretense you often wear for the benefit of others, is really you! You must pull down the facade of self-deception. You must see yourself as God sees you, by making prayer an exercise in honesty.

An Exercise in Constancy
You must also make prayer an exercise in constancy. One robin does not make a spring. One hot day does not make a summer. And a few minutes snatched here and there does not constitute a prayer life. You must learn to "pray without ceasing."

When it comes to the ladder of prayer, I'm still on the bottom wrung. But I've learned it makes a mighty big difference if I begin the day with God. Ralph S. Cushman put it this way:
"I met God in the morning
When the day was at its best,
And his presence came like sunrise
With a glory in my breast.

All day long his presence lingered,
All day long he stayed with me,
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O'er a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered,
Other ships were sore distressed,
But the winds that seem to drive them,
Brought to us both peace and rest.

Then I thought of other mornings,
With a keen remorse of mind,
When I, too, had loosed the moorings
With his presence left behind.

So I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way:
You must seek him in the morning,
If you want him through the day."

Prayer is like the main spring of a watch. It provides the power, the impetus, the wherewithal to meet the exigencies of the day.

I used to think it didn't make any difference when I wound my watch. But shortly after I acquired my "Lord Elgin" I noticed it was losing time. I took it back to the jeweler and said, "You told me this was a fine watch and yet it's losing time. How come?" Without even examining it he asked, "When do you wind it?" And I said, "I wind my watch when everybody winds their watch. At night." He said,

"Well, you are doing it at the wrong time. When you wind your watch at night, it lies idle until morning and then, with a half-wound spring, it has to put up with the jostling of the day. If you wind your watch in the morning, it has all the strength it needs to meet the buffeting and bumping of the day, and then, with a still half-wound spring it will have the power it needs to see you through the night." So I started winding my watch in the morning and now it gains time!

Speaking of watches, one of my favorite stories has to do with a hermit who came to town and, passing by a jewelry store, saw an unfamiliar object in the window. He went inside and asked the clerk what this strange thing was. "It's a pocket watch," the clerk explained, "you keep it in your pocket and, when you want to know what time it is, it tells you."

Well, the hermit was fascinated by that possibility and bought the watch. Later that day he decided to give it a try. He looked at his watch pocket and asked, "What time is it?" Of course the watch didn't say anything. Thinking it was asleep, the hermit tapped his watch pocket and said in a loud voice, "What time is it?" Again the watch didn't answer. So the hermit pulled it out, shook it real hard to get its attention and, holding the watch up to his ear, asked a third time, "What time is it?" All he heard was a ticking sound. He became so frustrated he threw the watch on the floor. It broke open and all the wheels and springs and pieces scattered about the room. The hermit's eyes grew wide and he said, "If I 'd know'd you was gonna have little ones, I wouldn't a kilt ya."

Well, prayer is the mainspring of our life as Christians, and by beginning the day in prayer, we are provided with the necessary strength and stability to meet whatever that day brings. So, tomorrow morning, begin the day by repeating this little verse before you get out of bed:

"This is the day which the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."

Then ask God for the physical strength and spiritual resources you're going to need to meet tomorrow successfully. You will be surprised how Prayer Can Change Your Life.

Go Through the Day With God
That kind of beginning makes it easy to go through the day with God. I have always admired the people who can spend an hour or so in quiet before breakfast. Only rarely have I succeeded in doing that. For a long time I felt defeated in my prayer life until I learned the secret of simultaneity -- the ability to live on two levels at the same time -- the surface level of the physical world and the sub-surface level of the spirit.

I call it: Praying with your eyes wide open. You are fully aware of everything going on about you. You are attentive to what someone may be saying to you. And yet, at the same time, you are simultaneously drawing from that deep well of spiritual power within -- that limitless reservoir of strength and serenity, confidence and composure -- which is available through prayer.

That does not deny the necessity of extended periods of prayer. The longer I live this life of simultaneity, the more I become conscious of my need of prolonged periods of prayer. Times when, through sheer grit and determination I bore down through the surface soil of pretense, the rock and slate of self protection, the sands of hostility and doubt, and the gravel of fear and guilt, until I tap into that spring of living water which bubble up from within and which floods my soul with the cooling, quieting, refreshing stream of fellowship with God.

Yes, we need those extended periods of prayer. But right now I am talking about what Thomas Kelly calls--
"A way of life so hid with Christ in God that in the midst of the day's business, one is inwardly lifting brief prayers, short ejaculations of praise, subdued whispers of adoration and of tender love, earnest pleas for help and guidance to the God and Father of us all."

And it is this going throughout the day with God, this "well nigh continuous state of unworded prayer"which provides the unspeakable serenity and peace Jesus talked about when he said,
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you."

It is making use of what the poet called --
"A viewless cloistered room,
As high as heaven, as fair as day,
Where, though my feet may join the throng,
My soul can enter in and pray.

"One watching, even cannot tell
When I have crossed the threshold o'er,
But he alone, who hears my prayer
Hath heard the shutting of the door."
And then, we must

Conclude the Day With God
I used to think it didn't do much good to pray at night. I figured I wouldn't get into much trouble while I was asleep. But when I got to college and learned a little bit about the subconscious mind, I changed all that.

I learned, for instance, that it (the subconscious mind) never goes to sleep. It is always working and actually affecting our conscious mind. So I began to conclude my day with God and encourage others to do the same. To prepare for sleep by filling their mind with faith, instead of fear. Forgiveness, instead of guilt. Love, instead of hate. Joy, instead of sadness. And, in that way, to make it possible to go forward with God, even while asleep.

God is on twenty-four hour duty. As the psalmist said,
"(The Lord is thy keeper,) he that keepeth thee will not slumber." (Psm 121:3)

He will be watching over you throughout the night. And if, in your last waking thought you turn to him and commit your cares and concerns to his safekeeping, then you can pillow your head in peace, knowing all is well. Yes, we must make prayer an exercise in constancy. Beginning, going through and concluding the day with God.

An Exercise in Simplicity and Sincerity
And then, we must make prayer an exercise in simplicity and sincerity. Prayer is not a matter of rhetoric. It does not consist of elaborate sentences or certain forms. As someone has said,
"It has little to do with words and nothing to do with posture. It is simply 'the souls sincere desire' to relate everything to God's great plan and purpose."

Such prayer is becoming God-conscious and not self-conscious. One reason some folks find it difficult to pray in public is because they are all bound up with words. They are all concerned about rhetoric. They forget that prayer is not a conversation with other people. It is a conversation with God. And God doesn't care a whit about sentence structure.

The most beautiful sound in all the world to any earthly father is the gentle babbling of his baby. The half-formed, half-finished sentences of his growing child are music to his ears. So, too, with God. He doesn't care how you say it, but simply that you say it -- period.

As someone has said,
"It is not the arithmetic of your prayers, how many they are,
It is not the rhetoric of your prayers, how eloquent they are,
It is not the geometry of your prayers, how long they are,
Nor the logic of your prayers, how argumentative they are,
Or the method of your prayers, how orderly they are,"
rather, it is the simplicity and sincerity of your prayers which makes them powerful.

God is not concerned with your language, but with your longing. He is not impressed by your sophistication, but by your earnestness. So when you pray, make prayer an exercise in simplicity and sincerity, and you will discover Prayer Can Change Your Life.

A Present Day Parable About Prayer
And now, the story I promised when we started. It comes from the pen of Olive Wyon and expresses in a graphic, lucid, easily remembered way, what I have tried to say this morning.

It's about a man who dreamed he wandered into a spacious church to pray. After his prayers were finished, he continued to kneel, his eyes open, looking at the beauty of the ancient building, just resting in the silence. After awhile, he noticed there were other quiet, kneeling figures. Suddenly, close to the spot where he was kneeling, there was a gentle whir of wings, and he saw a little white bird fluttering about. It flew uncertainly hither and thither. Once or twice he thought it would fall to the ground. But gradually it gathered strength, rose toward the roof, and finally, with a purposeful sweep of its wings sped out through one of the high, open windows into the sunshine.

The man looked down again at the kneeling men and women scattered throughout the church, and he saw what he had noticed before. By the side of each worshiper there hovered, close to the stone floor, a little white bird. Just then, one of the birds rose from the floor and tried to reach the roof. But it, too, was in difficulty. It flew around in circles, occasionally beating its wings in futility against the great lower windows, rich with stained glass. Finally it sank down exhausted, and lay still.

A little later, another bird arose from the ground with swift and easy flight. For a moment it seemed it would reach the open window and sky beyond. But suddenly, as if it had been shot, it twirled around and fell helplessly over and over until it hit the ground with a thud. The man rose from his knees and went over to see what had happened. The little bird was dead.

He went back to his place and sat down on one of the chairs. Then, he noticed an ugly little bird, its white feathers dirty and bedraggled, rise from the ground. At first this bird labored heavily, but it soon gathered speed, for it was strong, and it soared up and out into the sunlight beyond the walls of the great church.

More and more the man wondered about the meaning of all this. He looked again at the people in prayer near him and noticed one, kneeling very reverently, by whose side lay a very beautiful bird, snowy white and perfectly formed. But when he looked at it more closely, he saw that its eyes were glazed, its wings stiff. It was a lifeless shell. "What a pity," the man murmured under his breath.

At that moment a gentle whir of wings a few feet away attracted his attention. Another bird was rising from the ground, steadily and quietly, at first with some appearance of effort, but more and more easily and lightly as it gathered strength. This bird flew straight up, past the carved angels which seemed to be crying "hallelujah" to one another across the dim spaces of the church, and out through the open windows into the blue sky, where it was soon lost to sight.

Pondering on what he had seen, the man looked around again, and this time he saw standing close to him, an angel, tall and strong, with a face of great kindness, wisdom and compassion. It seemed perfectly natural (as things do in dreams) and the man whispered to him, "Can you explain these white birds to me?"

"Yes," said the angel, in a low voice, as he seated himself beside the man. "I am the guardian of this place of prayer. These white birds are the outward signs of the prayers of the people who come here to pray. The first bird, which found it difficult to rise, but then succeeded, is the prayer of a woman who had come here straight from a busy life. She had very little time to herself. In fact, she usually comes here in the midst of her shopping. She has a great many duties, and her mind was full of distractions when she first knelt down to pray. But she persevered, for her heart is right with God, and he helped her. Her prayer was real, so it reached him."

"What about the bird that flew around in circles?" asked the man. The angel smiled slightly, with a tinge of faint amusement. "That," he said slowly, "is the prayer of a man who thinks of no one but himself. Even in his prayers he only asks for 'things.' Success in his business and things like that. He tries to use God for his own ends. People think he is a very religious man, but his prayer does not reach God at all."

"Why did that other bird fall to the ground as if it had been shot?" The angel looked sad as he replied, "That man began his prayer well enough, but suddenly he remembered a grudge against someone he knew. He forgot his prayer and brooded in bitter resentment. His resentment killed his prayer. And the ugly little bird," the angel went on after a moment of silence, "is the prayer of a man who hasn't much of an idea of reverence. His prayer is bold, almost presumptuous some people might call it. But God knows his heart. He knows his faith is real. The man truly believes in God. So his prayer reached him."

"And the beautiful, lifeless bird that never stirred from the ground at all?" the man asked. "That," said the angel, "is a beautiful composed prayer. The language is perfect. The thought is doctrinally correct. The man offered it with a great deal of reverence, but he never meant a word of it. Even as he said the words, his thoughts were on his own affairs. So his prayer could not reach God." "And what about the last bird who flew upwards so easily?" The angel smiled. "I think you know," he said gently. "That is the prayer of a woman whose whole heart and will are set upon God. Her prayer went straight to him."
"In the morning, rising up a great while before day,
he went out and departed unto a solitary place,
and there prayed."

Therein lies the secret of the amazing calm and composure of Jesus Christ. Therein lies the source of that "peace which passes all understanding." Would you like to have his peace this morning? You can, for Jesus promised: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you."
But to know his peace you must follow his practice. You must learn to pray honestly, constantly. Simply and sincerely. When you do, you will know what I mean when I say:
Prayer Can Change Your Life.

The following was printed and distributed to worshipers along with the Order of Worship.
Spiritual Prescription For Today
"This is the day which the Lord has made,
(I will) rejoice and be glad in it" (Psm. 118:24)

Directions: To be "taken" each morning along with the following daily reminder.

Prayer is like the mainspring of a watch. It provides the power, the impetus,
the wherewithal to meet the exigencies of the day.

Begin today by thanking God for it. Ask him for the physical strength and spiritual resources you will need to live this day successfully. You'll be surprised how Prayer Can Change Your Life.
Dr. John Allan Lavender
Morgan Park Baptist Church
11345 So. Bell, Chicago, Ill.