Many churches today don't

use the old hymn books of yesteryear and it appears that

great Christian heritage is going by the wayside. Now I

do love the uplifting praise music we hear in today's

churches including my own church, but there in the pews

in our hymnals are truly some of the greatest pieces of

music ever written.

There are even books

written about the lives of the composers of these hymns

and stories of their great anointed lives. There are many

hymns that I will cherish `til I die, but one in

particular that I will always love is "Standing In

The Need Of Prayer." It says "it's me, it's me,

it's me, O Lord standing in the need of prayer, its me,

it's me, it's me, O Lord, standing in the need of

prayer."

On Wednesday night in our

little church, we have a devotion, then have open prayer

requests that my wife, Dee, writes down and then we go to

the altar, and get on our knees and pray. I will put on a

beautiful hymn or some praise music over the PA set and

we will just commune with God. These are very special

moments kneeling in prayer before almighty God. If it is

not in your tradition to kneel when you pray, I encourage

you to try it, for it is very special.

During the prayer request

time, it is our youth who will come up with the most

"straight from the heart requests" you've ever

heard. They will be like "Lord, please make this

week in school go by fast" (I feel that the dogged-

out teachers are probably praying the same prayers in

their churches). They will ask God to help them pass a

certain subject for which they are having difficulty.

They will ask for God to make well a family member or a

friend who is sick. You will hear them ask for safety in

taking a trip or for a friend whom they feel does not

know Jesus as their savior.

I know a lot has been

written about our youth culture and how they are all

"going to the dogs," but I would love for these

doomsday people to come to our churches and see how

wonderful these youth really are. I became a Christian at

eleven years old, but I can't remember having the depth

and the spiritual understanding that our youth have

today.

Remember we are all

"standing in the need of prayer." Pray for our

soldiers in Kosovo. Pray for our teachers over the

summer. Pray for awareness of God's reality in this

technology age.

Dr. Knox Herndon is the

Pastor of His House Community Church (SBC), a substitute

school teacher in the Fayette County school system and a

retired Army Chaplain. The church is located at 193

Johnson Ave Fayetteville, Ga. Right behind the Mask Tire

Co. off Jeff Davis Dr. Fayetteville. (770)-719-2365

E-Mail [email protected]

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