VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: The Spaz

You Should Have Seen Them

Proud

Given Unto Folly

Weak-Kneed

Gimpy-Eyed

And
That Particular One Called Spasmodic Prayer

Full Of Fits And Starts

Given To Prayer Only Over Problems

But

Having No Time For Praying

When Life Is At Ease
And
Never Realizing That 
It Is When The Life Seems Most At Ease
That We Need To Pray The Most! 

On The Other Hand ...

Meet Christian Life!

Christian Life As We All Know Him

Is

A Dedicatedly Praying Person

Or
- To Be Exactly Honest -
At Least He Was Until

The Unfortunate Experience Called

Time And Circumstance!

It Was Like This ...

His Circumstance Was Tough, Hard

Untenable

And

The Time To Get Relief Seemed ... To His Carnal Mind
- Once Thought To Have Been Regenerated -

Unconscionably Long

Because 

Christian Life Had Pulled A Peter!

Christian Life Did The One Thing That 
No Obedient, Watching, Working, Waiting 
Wise-Unto-Salvation Believer In The Efficacy Of

The Innocent-Blood Sacrifice Of Jesus Christ The Lord

Should Ever, Ever, Do!

Christian Life Did The Unthinkable!
Christian Life Did A Hard Blink
And
Christian Life Looked ... Down ... And Around!

He Broke The Link 

And

He Looked Away From His Lord, His Master

His Hope, His Help

His Only Savior

And

Aided By Time, Unchained, Unchecked 

Circumstance ... That Heathen That Tries Men's Souls

That Raging Opportunist 

Bit Him Really Hard On His Behind-Him

And

Into The Drink ... Poured By Unfettered Time 
Which No Created Being Can Tame

He Started To Sink!

Christian Life Then Added Insult To Injury

And

He Did The One Other Thing That 
He Should Not Have Done:

He Didn't Do What Peter Did!

Peter Doubted And

  ... Started To 
       ... Sink 
            ... Into His Circumstance
But

Peter Remembered To Whom He Was Travelling

And

Being Wise ... Unto His Own Soul's Salvation

And

Remembering The Example Clearly Set For Him

By The Very One Who Told Him

To Make The Impossible-For-Man-Alone Journey

He, By Faith, Prayed ... Cried Out

And

Was Saved And Blessed!

Warning, Warning, Warning ... 

Anything Practiced Enough Becomes A Skill
And
At Its Performance
The Performer Becomes Adept!

See To It

That To Sinning

You Do Not Adapt!

Christian Life's Engine 
On The Railway To Heaven Started Slowing

Started Hiccoughing

Started A Regularly Irregular Schedule Of Runs

Started Doubting The Map

Started Questioning The Architect

Started Embracing Doubt Readily

Started Disengaging Faith Frantically

Until ...On A Downward Spiral

He Invited That Generator That 
Is 
A Heavenly-Current Drain

To Take Up Residence In His Insides! 

Christian Life ... By Constant Association 

Constant Indulgence

Constant "Oh, Taste And See ...!"

Became What He Was Eating

And

In Short Order

He Unveiled To Angels And To Men That

He Had Become ... Oh, The Shame Of It All
Spasmodic Prayer

That Weakling

That Wastrel

Who Took His Father's Substance

And 
Is Gone Off To A Far Away Land!

Let Me Repeat:
Oh, The Shame Of It All!

As We All Know

The Sweet Life Of No Prayer ...!

... You Said He Was Spasmodic Prayer Before!

Beloved, 

For Your, Our, Future Reference

Spasmodic Prayer And No Prayer

Are One And Same Thing

Because

They Sow The Same Seeds

And

They Reap ... With Our Willing Aid

The Self-Same Harvest Of Reward!

That Behavior Does Not Bless Us

And

Worst Yet

It Neither Pleases Nor Glorifies

Jesus Christ The Lord!

When We See Our Need For Christ

We Bow Our Hearts In Prayer

But

When We Trust Our Self We Should Fear

Because

We Walk Into Satan's Big-Able, Wide-open
Geared To Disobedient-Self

Snare!

I Thought We Were Talking About Praying!

The Christian Life

Which Does Not Include Prayer

Constant Prayer, Instant Prayer

Importunate Prayer

Regular Prayer

Prayer Of Faith

Prayer Of Thanksgiving

Prayer For Blessing

Prayer For Self

Prayer For Others

Prayer Just Because

Is

A Disobedient, Selfish, Idolatrous, Life

Walking Aggressively On The Quick-Sand Of 
The Carnal, Godless, Life ... And Fettered, Finite, Time!

Fettered And Finite!?!

Wasn't It Unfettered Before!?! 

Oh, Yes!

For Us, Time Is A Gully Bore! 

In The Heavenly Dispensation

Time, For Man, Is A Circumscribed Door!

Time Says This Much ... And No More

So Far ... And No Further!

It Is Leased And Locked

And

Personally Deeded And Loaded!
You Will Be By Time And Circumstance Goaded!

Consider A Bottle Of Soda Pop Well Shaken 
And 
Unceremoniously Uncapped

Which Contents Will Emerge 
Under The Force Of Pressure

Like A Pipe That Bursts!
You Can't Do The Reverse!

The Picture You Paint Is Not One That I Like

Because I Know From Personal Experience That
A Christian Life Without Prayer

Is A Life Lived All Over The Place

Chased And Caught

Caught And Released

Until He Who Is A Christian

Living The No-Prayer Christian Life

Becomes A Christian ... Not! 

A Nought!

How Could He Be So Foolish!

Why Don't You Ask Yourself

How You Could Be So Foolish!?!

Me!?!

Yes, Me!

Oh, Dear!

We Are All Guilty!

Guilty As Sin!

Guilty Of Sin!

More Prayer, More Power!

Less Prayer

And
It Is A Given That
Before Satan, You, Me, We Shall Cower!

The Thought Of That 
Just Makes My Stomach Turn Sour!

In That Case
Let's Exercise Our Privilege Of Praying

So That Against Sin, Self 
And 
Satan The Damned

We Shall Be Most Daring!

Hip! Hip! 

Hooray!