11-7-2019

Good Morning All,

      Romans 12:12; “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

    Have you ever heard of a man named Hiroo Onoda?  He was a Japanese soldier during World War 2.  The truly amazing thing about him is that he was separated from his unit.  As the Americans showed up, he hid in the jungles of Lubang Island in the Philippines.  He hid for 29 years.  He didn’t surrender until 1974 because he did not believe the war was over because no one from his command had given him the order.  For 29 years he hid, scavenged, avoided capture until his former commanding officer was able to convince him the war was over and he should surrender.  All of this occurred because he was separated from his unit and he was no longer in contact with them.

    One of the ideas that I try to teach through our confirmation classes is that we are under attack.  We are the front line of an attack from the devil.  The devil cannot touch those who have died in faith and are in heaven.  The devil already has the unbelievers in his camp so that only leaves the believer here on earth to face his attacks.  This is why Scriptures over and over again tell us to stand firm, to hold on and, above all, pray.

    In visiting with a few soldiers, they expressed the need for good, constant communication with the base and their fellow soldiers.  As soon as communication is lost, they can become lost.  As the situation on the battlefield changes, it is important to keep the soldiers up to date with these changes.  To be incommunicado is to hamper and to place in peril the soldier and the mission.

    We are the same way.  If we lose communication with our home base (God), we can soon lose sight of what is going on and we may soon become lost much like Hiroo.  We too, can wander aimlessly being fearful of what we do not know.  When we are incommunicado with God, we are an easy target for the devil, the world and our sinful nature.  When we do not pray, the devil’s whispered lies seem to become true and soon we are lost forever.

    Pray is an essential element in the “holy conversation” we are to have with God. God speaks to us through his Word and we speak back to God in prayer and we need to be in constant contact.  We must be in constant prayer; always wary of the devil lies; always seeking God’s truth.  It is through prayer that we maintain our connection to God.

    Prayer must be more than an occasional 911 call to God; it needs to be a continually flow of prayer to God.  Prayer is really more about a life lived in constant contact with God through His Word than it is about words we speak.  True prayer comes from the heart and is often seen by those around us as a life of contentment in God’s grace and mercy.  Pray constantly; stay connected to your only hope of salvation.

Gracious Lord, teach us to pray so that we may be able to stand to the devil’s assaults.  Teach us to pray that we may always be your faithful servants offering our lives to your service.  Keep us ever mindful of your great mercies.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret