I don’t need to produce a litany of the ills that we are facing in our society today. We are reminded of them daily. We cannot ignore these; we must do something to preserve a future for our children. But what? Where can we find a remedy for our ills? Today’s reading from If Men Will Pray is found on page 9:
“We have become a society where peace and quiet are an illusion, godliness is scorned, dignity has been traded in for crudity and mere self-indulgence, and anger and quarreling are increasingly the normal mode of communicating at home, work, and in the public square.
“In such a situation, our neighbors look to the old standbys to find some semblance of happiness: possessions, privacy, and politics. Give me my stuff, leave me alone, and take care of my needs.
“But this is not the way to peace and quiet, dignity and godliness, or peacefulness, respect, and civility.
“The way to this kind of life, this kind of society is along the path of prayer. Men praying, to be specific, as Paul has it in 1 Timothy 2.1-8. If men will pray, God will act. If men, Christian men, continue to insist onbeing mere men, for whom prayer is hardly the breathed air of spiritual existence, then we can forget about realizing the hope of a better society and a more God-honoring culture.”
For reflection or discussion
1. Do the men you know pray as if prayer is the remedy for our ills? Explain.
2. What makes prayer such a potent remedy? Why don’t men believe this?
You can make a difference by making prayer a more vital aspect of your walk with and work for the Lord. Make sure to start your day with prayer. Take brief prayer breaks throughout the day. Pray with a friend. In fact, share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together to consider how you can help one another become, through prayer, healing and restoring participants in our society. You can order copies of If Men Will Pray from The Ailbe Bookstore.
T. M. Moore
