Prayer

 The Prayer Garden on the campus of Fuller Theological Seminary

in Pasadena CA was one of the more beautiful spaces that we enjoyed on our 

recent, short trip to the West Coast.

We were there to attend s a conference for prayer leaders.

We passed this space on our way to eat at the Refractory on the Fuller Campus

a time or two before I realized what it was!

 

Calm, quiet, and welcoming, it issued a silent call

 

 to practice what we'd come to focus on.

 It reminded me how quick I am to TALK about prayer,

THINK about prayer, READ about prayer,

and RESOLVE to pray--

but how slack and slow I am when it comes down to actually PRAYING.

"The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity.  If we want to see mighty wonders of divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let us answer God's standing challenge, 'Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not!'"  (J. Hudson Taylor)

"No learning can make up for the failure to pray.  No earnestness, no diligence, no study, no gifts will supply its lack."  (E.M. Bounds)

“The great people of the earth today are the people who pray!  I do not mean those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor those who explain prayer; but I mean those who actually take the time to pray. They have not time. It must be taken from something else. That something else is important, very important and pressing, but still, less important and pressing than prayer. There are people who put prayer first, and group the other items in life's schedule around and after prayer. These are the people today who are doing the most for God in winning souls, in solving problems, in awakening churches, in supplying both men and money for mission posts, in keeping fresh and strong their lives far off in sacrificial service on the foreign field, where the thickest fighting is going on, and in keeping the old earth sweet a little while longer.”  (S.D. Gordon)