Joseph Noah Gagliardi
Puritan Board Freshman
In my church, some of the younger people, about my age (23) have decided to meet together after worship to pray with one another, as we seek one another's edification, as well as to strengthen the bonds of fellowship, as we feel we simply do not have as close communion as we should wish. Also, it gives us a profitable way to spend the Lord's Day, other than engaging in vapid, silly conversation as so often tempts the youth when they are together. As such, I am trying to pray for others, in a selfless, Christ centered manner. However, I realized I so often fall into the temptation we as Christians face, and that is impressing our fellow believers with our walk, and level of sanctification, or our skill in prayer, as if we are leveling up a video game character, and brag of our exploits and victories in a lone wolf path to self improvement. I was convicted, as I discussed prayer with my sister today, for I realized prayer is our self-helpless appeal to the LORD of hosts for our daily provision. It is like our heart beat: were its beating dependent upon our sustaining it, o how we should die, and that in but moments, so dull are we, and forgetful. When we pray, our petitions are but a paltry representation of our endless needs, needs which our father in Heaven knows, and provides for, even when we don't remember to seek these mercies. That is why we pray for our daily bread, encompassing all such needs as, if prayed, would occupy us for eternity, such is our great need. Dr. Robert Kolb's lecture at the GPTS 2017 Spring Theology Conference on "Luther's Providential God" is very helpful in this regard. (It's on YouTube if you haven't already given it a watch) But sometimes I think when I pray, it's as if God is sitting in the front row listening to the preaching of John Chrysostom, what eloquence! God must point and say, as if a parent speaking proudly of a child at a spelling bee, saying "isn't he so talented? He's mine." Is that how we are tempted? Is such our pride? I confess it is mine at times. I thank God He calls to mind that we are but dust, we are less than dust for strength and beauty. He has called us from the ashes, from the dung heap, and made us to sit, lame as Mephibosheth, to dine with the the LORD of glory, and He loves us! He heeds the prayer of the contrite, but with the froward he will show Himself unsavoury. This ought to humble us. I pray I am humbled by this.
