“THE PRAYER OF THE DESTITUTE”
Two of William Booth’s workers were sent out by the Salvation Army to have revival. They tried everything…free dinners, socials, etc. They found out the people would come out for “soup and soap,” but not salvation. They wrote General Booth a letter of frustration, stating that the work was so hard, and they were making no progress. When asked the question, “What should we do?” the General sent a telegram back with two words, “Try tears!”
In Psalm 102:17 we read, “He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and will not despise their prayer.” The word “regard” means, “He looks upon,” or “He turns Himself to their prayer.” “Destitute” is from a word which signifies an insignificant, unattractive shrub or bush in the wilderness. It is probably the dwarf juniper, which has a gloomy stunted appearance, symbolizing those who are stripped of everything, wholly destitute, and desperate. The words “and will not despise their prayer” mean that “the Lord will incline His ear to hear, His heart to consider, and His hand to help.”
A cartoon shows Dennis The Menace walking with his friend, with Dennis telling him, “I say my prayers every night because God is a regular listener.” The Jewish Rabbis have said the following about prayer, “God is as near to His creatures as the ear to the mouth.” William Barclay declared, “Human beings can hardly hear two people talking at once, but God, if all the world calls to Him at one time, hears their cry.”
Moses found himself in a desperate situation at the Red Sea. In Exodus 14:15, the Lord asked him, “Why do you cry to Me?” Adam Clarke comments, “We hear not one word of Moses praying, and yet here the Lord asks him why he cries to Him? From this we may learn that the ‘heart’ of Moses was deeply engaged with God, though it is probable he did not ‘articulate’ one word; but the language of ‘sighs, tears,’ and ‘desires’ is equally intelligible to God with that of words.”
“True prayer is not the noisy sound, that clamorous lips repeat,
But the deep silence of a soul, that clasps Jehovah’s feet.”
John Bunyan told how beggars used to carry with them a bowl when they went to beg at a house. Some of them brought only small bowls. However rich and bountiful the householder might be, he could not give them more that their bowl could contain. Others brought great bowls, and carried them home full!
“HE WILL REGARD THE PRAYER OF THE DESTITUTE.”
Dave Arnold, Pastor, Gulf Coast Worship Center, New Port Richey, Florida
www.davidarnoldonline.org
2 comments:
Blessed are the poor in spirit...
Interesting isn't it?.... How we can get so wrapped up in "doing" that we forget the most effective thing we can possibly do which is pray.
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