When was the

last time you seriously prayed to God? I am not talking about a two to

three sentence prayer, I am talking about serious prayer!

How many rooms

do you have in your house? The Bible talks about us going into our prayer

closets and praying. Do you have a designated place that is just for you

and God? A place where you go where it is all about communing with the

heavenly Father? It is true that we can go to Him in prayer anywhere and

any place and in any circumstance but when something is "too general"

and too generic, it often can and does get played off. Everyone's responsibility

is no one's responsibility, if you know what I mean.

Serious prayer

needs to be "intentional." Every day since I have become "over

40," I make a list of what I need to accomplish the next day. I have

learned to put at the top of my list, as the number one item, to pray.

I have learned that if I rush into my list without first stopping and

praying, that for some reason, I don't get it all done.

What stopping

and praying does is that it first calls on our Heavenly Father to intentionally

watch over our affairs of the day and to "use us as salt and light"

in whatever we do. I have heard thousands of prayers that go something

like this: "Father, please make my life a living example so others

can see Christ in me." That is a good prayer and a lofty Christian

idea but without intentional daily interaction with the Father, it probably

will get played off for lesser more unimportant ideas, and it just becomes

mere words.

I hear Christians

all the time say, "I'll pray for you." Some use it as a closing

statement only, with no intention of praying for anything. What I always

do if I say that to anyone is to immediately pray on the spot. That way

it doesn't get played off. There is a special form of integrity to promise

to pray for someone and then do it.

And while we

are on the subject, when was the last time you knelt when you prayed?

I know that right away you are going to say that this sounds legalistic,

but kneeling is an attitude of the heart. I assume you have a bed to sleep

in at night. What a wonderful place to kneel before you retire at night

and pray.

In our church

we have the "pastoral prayer." At this time we call on all who

can, to come to the altar and kneel. We have some in our church who physically

cannot or choose to not kneel, but again, kneeling is an attitude of the

heart. Personally, I need to kneel before God each day and do serious

prayer. It feeds me.

When we raise

$350,000 and build our final phase II sanctuary and get out of the "doublewide

on 85," we will have an altar rail where people can kneel for longer

periods of time. Kneeling on a step or on a padded cushion, in my opinion,

will not allow serious prayer for any length of time.

Praying less

but enjoying life more? I doubt it. Let us all "seek first the kingdom

of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto

you ."

Pray on!! Remember

time is short! Listen for the trumpet!

The Rev.

Dr. Knox Herndon is pastor of His House Community Church (SBC). The Rev.

Greg Mausz is senior associate pastor. The Rev. Dr. Lydia Herndon is the

Sunday School superintendent, Bible study coordinator and teacher. The

church is just below Fayetteville, on Ga. Highway 85, a mile south of

Ga. Highway 16, just below the fire station. Visitors welcome. Church

office and prayer line 770-719-2365; e-mail [email protected]. The church's

new Web site is www.hishousecommunitychurch.com.

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