It Was Week Of Prayer
AND
Lican Pub
AND
i-See Phar
Were Standing Before The Assembly
Sending Up Prayers
To The Great Throne Of Grace!
Before I Proceed ...
I Should Tell You That
These Two Brethren Of The Faith
Were As Different As
Night And Day
Hot And Cold
Nice And Nasty!
Their Occupations
Were As Different As
A Thief And Thunder
A Teacher And A Technician
A Pharisee And A Publican!
Still Further ...
I Shall Inform You That
One Of These Men Had Almighty God
Preserved
In His Back Pocket
AND
One Of These Men Had Almighty God
Treasured
In His Heart!
One Of These Men
Believed
Almighty God Needed To Hear His Self-Praise
AND
One Of These Men
Knew
That He Needed To Hear A Word Of Healing
From Almighty God!
I Must Now Offer Up ...
A Word Of Caution
As It Pertains
To Our Uttering Of Our Prayers
AND
The Entering Into God's Ears
Of The Prayers Of Our Hearts:
Humble Is
As Humble Does!
Prayers To God
Should Not Contain The Fuzz
The Fuzz Of The Suppliant
In Love With Himself
Who Believes
He Is Doing Almighty God A Favor
When
Before God
He Self-Lovingly Praises Himself!
Just In Case
You Think I Am Talking Folly
Just Remember That The Living God
Is
All-Seeing
All-Knowing
Ever-Present
That Is ... Again
The All Mighty!
He Created Us!
He Sees Us!
He Knows Us!
He Records
ALL Our Ways
AND
He Is Not Fooled
- Like Mankind -
By Our Grandiose
Verbose
Yet Triflingly Self-Righteous
Displays!
Man Looks Upon
The Exposed!
God Looks Upon
Our Concealed-From-View-Hearts
AND
Be It Made Known
That Speaking Down To God
Is What We Do
When We Lift Up To God
Swollen Heads
AND
Puffed-Up Hearts
Sold As Humble Meat Stew!
We Cannot Sell God
On Our Perfection
Like Some Jacked-Up Used-Car Salesman
For
The God Of Grace And Mercy
Is Well AND Truly Aware
Of All That Is Concealed
Under A Coat Of Paint
With
The New Mixed With Spent Oil
AND
Our Shamelessly Proclaiming To The World
"We Are Good To Go!"
Just Because
The Ignition Turns
AND
Our Engine Does Start
AND
Our Triumphant Processing Along
The Golden Way
In Full Lying Display!
I Leave You
To Draw Your Own Conclusion
BUT ...
Before I Do
I Leave You With This
Work Of Heart:
i-See Phar
Proud
Arms Uplifted
Head Raised
Praying
With Himself
Said:
"Lord, I Thank You That
I Am Not A Sinner Like Other Men
Like That Publican Over There!"
BUT ...
Lican Pub Prayed
Head Bowed
Not Daring To Raise
Even An Eye To Heaven
Saying:
"Lord, Have Mercy
On Me ... A Sinner!"
I Now Ask You
To Render A Righteous Judgment
To The Question Of:
Which Pray Did Almighty God Accept Into His Ears?"
To See
AND
Understand
The Method
Employed By
His Wickedness Himself - Satan
To Stop Our Prayers
From Ascending
Unto The Holy God!
I Implore Us All
- When We Physically Bow Before God -
To Decidedly
Bow Our Hearts To God
In Our Prayers And Supplications
So That God Will
In Jesus Christ's Blessed Name
Receive Into Himself
All
Our Petitions!
I Say Unto My Self:
"Physician, Heal Thyself!"
PRAYER:
Father,
Forgive Us Today
Even As We Pray
If A Little Of Self
Gets Into The Way
As To You We Repair!
Lord,
Help Us To Let
The Holy Spirit
Take Control And Lead Us
Even As We Ask You
To Daily Feed Us!
Help Us, Father
To Give Unto You
Our Selves
As Well As
Our Fears And Our Cares
And Help Us
To Be Ever Humble
Before You
As We Ask You To Fix Us
And Our Fumbles!
Pity Us, Lord!
In Jesus' Name We Plead
For We Love You!
AMEN
