Several Years of Failed Petition

David L Lamon | September 28, 2009

9/28/2009

What Could Possibly Be Wrong

David L Lamon

For many years a large number of Americans have petitioned God to stop the evil encompassing our country. For example, prayer after prayer has been made to stop the murder of innocent babies and stop the rampant homosexual movement but it seems the more we pray the worse things get in both of these areas. I am wondering why hasn’t God answered our prayers because we are knowledgeable about what his word the bible says about these things knowing in it he spells out plainly that he is against both of the above mentioned. His word says where two or three are gathered together in his name he will be in the midst of them meaning it doesn’t take a whole nation to get the Lord to respond. I reckon that is what that means isn’t it?

Typical Prayer Life of a Christian

If we go by the definition biblically speaking of what constitutes a Christian, which is basically being Christ-like and to further define Christianity we could consider what Jesus said, “he that believeth on me as the scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” and of course we know that means we will be filled with his spirit. If we live for God using the scripture the way it describes Jesus and obey his teachings as we understand them then what is it that prevents his intercession to right the wrongs we know he considers to be wrong? Lord while I admit with my busy life I don’t have the time to set aside a certain amount of time in prayer and study of the bible it is on my mind a lot and I do listen to what the preacher says in Sunday school. I do take little Johnny to Sunday school when it doesn’t interfere with that quality time you said we should spend with our children. As you know Lord we have been forced to work six days a week now for quite some time and the only time I have to do something with little Johnny is the one day a week I have off and my wife says she wants me take her out to dinner but I just don’t know when now I can do all these things. I know I ask you to help me pay my bills but I didn’t mean for it to be done this way working six days a week because it is cutting into my being able to spend quality time with the wife and little Johnny so fix this for me will you? Lord I have declared war on my neighbor because he is a sinner of the worst kind and Jesus my neighbor keeps complaining about my dog coming into his yard and pooping and although I slipped and cursed him and hit him in the mouth for throwing a rock at my dog he is still threatening to call the pound so I ask you to do something to him to let him know I am one of your children and it don’t pay to mess with God’s youngins.

Another Troubling Aspect to Consider

We know there are at minimum thousands of Christians in America, which is lot more than two or three and the majority of these people have been and still are praying for God to stop the horrific sins mentioned above yet nothing is done. As a matter of fact, it seems the more we pray the worse it gets so what gives? Could it be our priorities are out of kelter or in non-alignment with the teachings of the bible? For instance, and I am only talking about Christians are we maybe putting too much emphasis on the natural instead of the spiritual with our highest priority being our pocketbooks. Are our prayers mostly administered in passing meaning only a thought about the wrongs of abortion and gay marriage or spending more time praying about the needs of the natural such as money, homes, cars, pleasures, etc. instead of spending more time being burdened with the above mentioned sins and lost sinners? Do our prayers go something like this, God please stop the radical agenda of our politicians that want to kill babies and stop the gay agenda and God I need a new truck or car and my three bedroom house is getting old and I need a new one. Lord my bass boat is giving me a lot of trouble and the expenses to keep it going are making it hard for me to even make the payments on it so I ask you Lord help me get another bass boat and this time I need a bigger one since I now have so much fishing tackle and accessories. Lord little Johnny is sixteen now and needs a car so he can run with the Jones and Smiths. Lord with all the bills coming due that I am no longer able to pay I need for you to help me get a raise or a new job that will pay me more because I have the opportunity to get on a deer hunting lease I can take my whole family to which will make it more safe for them to enjoy the sport of hunting without having to worry about some nutcase shooting one of them.

Lord I also need to make more money because the preacher keeps telling me I need to pay my tithes, contribute to the missions field, the youth efforts, outreach in the community and the building fund, which if I did I wouldn’t be able to take little Johnny fishing and hunting nearly as much and it would force me to cut down on my grocery bill. The preacher keeps asking me to get more involved in the activities of the church but when am I going to have time for that with all the other activities I am already involved in? It is getting so embarrassing when they pass the offering tray around and many times I don’t have anything to put in so I am considering quitting church because I know people are thinking wrong thoughts about me. If you don’t help me to meet these things financially my whole family might be lost and it will be your fault for not providing. After all, you said I know what you have need of before you ask and you said you would give me the desires of my heart if I believe when I pray. You know very well last night the last thing I said to you before I went to sleep was to get me more money so I could buy little Johnny a new gun and rod and reel and my rod and reel is messing up badly so I ask you to get me one too. I believe you are able to do this because I have seen it work in other people’s lives so there is no doubt in my mind if you can do it for others you can do it for me. Now you know Lord I have been praying for quite some time for these things and yet they haven’t materialized and I am starting to wonder why you don’t do as you said you would in your word. You expect me to be accountable so shouldn’t I have the same right to hold you accountable? This is a two-way street you know! I give so much and yet get so little in return and this is not the way the preachers on the television say it works. I do occasionally watch them you know, especially those that teach how to be successful. They repeatedly tell me to give to get and I do on occasion put money in the offering tray even when I know I can’t really afford it as you well know. I am making tremendous sacrifices to support your work and now I need you to do what the preacher said you would which is give me back a hundred fold for the sacrifices I have made. I mean I wouldn’t have done it if I had known you weren’t going to reward me a hundred fold you know.

Lord in a couple of years little Johnny will be of age to go to college and I don’t have the money to send him. I have always believed you want your children to prosper to set an example for others to see the benefits of living for you. You know by being a faithful church member, which is showing up almost every Sunday for Sunday school this sacrifice should be rewarded. Lord if you stop and think about I am doing what you said for me to do by spending quality time with little Johnny. Every Sunday I have it a point during the football, baseball, hunting and fishing season to spend several hours with him in one of these areas even if it meant missing one of the Sunday services. And you know a man needs a little time to himself so I have set aside Saturdays for my own personal quality time doing what I like to do such as uninterrupted fishing, hunting, or going to the casinos to try and make money to pay my bills that you so far haven’t help me with. And Lord every time I turn around the wife is needing something like a new vacuum cleaner or getting her hair fixed or just any number of things I can’t afford. She gets upset with me that the yard needs mowing and yet the lawnmower won’t crank half the time so I need a new one to keep her happy and I know without a doubt you want harmony in the home.

Well Lord that is about it but I do wish you would do something about the killing of innocent babies and stop the abominable homosexual lifestyle from spreading like it currently is and I almost forgot you remember me asking you for a bigger boat, well guess what, Bass Boats Are Us has the exact boat I want and I thought you might want to know that. I would like to as my friends asked join them in every Tuesday prayer meetings, in protesting abortion clinics and gay demonstrations but as you know I am doing what you said by being obedient to those appointed over me and they say Christians shouldn’t be getting involved in the political process. As you know Tuesday is when I have a meeting at the lodge with my fellow members so that knocks out my being able to go to these prayer meetings. I only wish they would change the night so I might be able to go. After all, you did say render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods and you have to admit I am doing that. Lord I ask you for the sake of Christianity to meet the needs I have laid out for you because when people see me doing without all these things it makes my Christian witness a bit weak wouldn’t you think? I mean they say and I have heard them if big Johnny is an example of what it is to live for God then no thanks!

P.S. Lord last night when I said my prayer before going to sleep I ask you to stop the boss from getting on me for missing work during the hunting season that is fast approaching so I could spend the quality time with little Johnny so I can be pleasing to you. I sure hope you will put a stop to that and impress upon him the need to give me a raise so I can meet the demands of my family so my Christian witness will be stronger.

Now I ask you what could possibly be wrong with this approach or thinking concerning what it is to live for God. I am troubled because although I am living the life as described above things seems to only get worse.

Hint: 75 times I used the word I. Oh, wait a second make that 77 now. I got so disgusted I didn’t even bother to count the me’s and my’s.

Do you reckon if one closely examined the letters to the churches in the book of Revelation it is possible to find things in all of them that pertain to what is written here with the exception of course the Philadelphian church? Is it a possibility that one of the problems with our lack of success getting God to do what we want could have anything to do with us putting so much emphasis on the I and me?

Matthew 6:33 but seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

James 4:2-3 ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Matthew 5:20 for I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

Somebody help me to see if there is anything wrong with my Christian life please! What is wrong with this last sentence? With a lot of deep thought about what is written herein one could literally write a book.

American Conservative Daily

Several Years of Failed Petition

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