Hammer on Anvil '

Recently my husband and I have been privileged to attend a number of weddings. We consider it an honor to stand with young people who are committed to God and each other. We understand the seriousness of the wedding ceremony, and that we are not there merely to observe -- those who attend are expected to actively support the bride and groom by praying for them and being there for counsel if/when needed.

At one of the ceremonies we attended, a couple sat next to us and we chatted briefly. During that time, we found out they are missionaries.

Imagine my disbelief, then, when the man proved to be one of the most self-absorbed individuals I have ever had the misfortune to meet. I witnessed what in my experience is a new low when it comes to disrespect and boorishness in a joyous public celebration.

Before the ceremony began, this man whipped out his cell phone and began playing a game on it. Throughout the entire thing, he sat there mesmerized by his phone. Through the sacred vows. Through the bride's tears, and the groom lovingly wiping them away. He didn't even look up when the couple was pronounced man and wife. And yes, he missed the kiss, too.

I would sort of understand if this person was a young teenager, or a child whose parents gave him a game to play to quiet him during the ceremony. And I would understand if he was a nonbeliever who simply didn't understand the sanctity of marriage. But this was a grown man who, as a missionary, should understand what God has to say about a man and a woman becoming one flesh.

I thought perhaps his wife would ask him to turn off his phone, but when he was stumped at one point about the game, she took the phone and played it for him! My husband and I couldn't believe it -- and it's not just because we're old fuddy-duddies. Our 22-year-old daughter-in-law, who was sitting with us, couldn't believe it either.

In society today, marriage is seen as irrelevant by an increasing number of people. Christ followers don't need to add to that warped view by being publicly irreverent during a holy celebration of a man and woman being joined together.

Last week I was driving home from the store and flipped on the radio. I shouldn't have been surprised at what I heard, given that it was CCM (contemporary Christian music), but occasionally I am fortunate enough to turn it on and hear Matt Redman or Gungor.

This was not one of those occasions, though. It was an advertisement of an upcoming interview with the woman Sandra Bullock portrayed in "The Blind Side." This woman said, and I kid you not, "The Bible says to pray about everything, and I want a good parking space!" My heart sank, and I said aloud, "God, forgive us."

Prayer is an amazing privilege to me, and I take it very seriously. How does something so sacred, something so powerful, get skewed to be an instrument to satisfy our lazy, sinful flesh? James 4:3 clearly states, "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."

When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, Jesus gave them what we now call The Lord's Prayer as an example to follow. In it, it is clear that first we are to worship God in our prayer, acknowledging that He is holy, and praying for His will to be done, and His purposes accomplished. Then we are to ask for "our daily bread," which simply means trusting God to provide your basic needs (food, money to pay your bills, etc.). We are to ask forgiveness for our sins, and be sure that we are not holding anyone else hostage by not forgiving them. Finally, we are to pray that we are not led into temptation, and ask God to deliver us from evil.

We live in a sad, tired world full of people who need God's redeeming grace. How can you pray about a good parking space when brothers and sisters in Christ are being tortured and persecuted for their faith? According to Christian Alliance for Orphans, some 153 million children are without homes and loving families. Some 27 million people are enslaved by human trafficking. The divorce rate is astronomical, even in the church. More than a million abortions are performed yearly in our country, and many post-abortive women are desperate and hurting, yet feel like they couldn't possibly come to the church for help.

We should be drawn to crisis situations like a moth to a flame, bringing the compassion and love and peace of Christ to the suffering. When Jesus sent the disciples out, He commissioned them not only to bring the good news of the gospel. He said, "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons" (Matt. 10:8). James 1:27 exhorts us to care for widows and orphans.

Are you beginning to see the picture here? We are to be God's hands and feet in this hurting world, and if our focus is on our own comfort, we have missed the boat big-time. Timothy tells us to "pray for all people, asking God for what they need and being thankful to Him. Pray for rulers and for all who have authority so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives full of worship and respect for God" (1 Tim. 2:1-2, New Century Version). Paul exhorts us in Colossians 4:2 to "continue steadfastly" in prayer. The Greek word for "continue" in this verse means to be constantly diligent and to persevere.

If your prayers are rather self-centered and the net you cast isn't very large, I encourage you today to ask God to expand your vision. We serve a big God, and if your prayers are mainly geared toward your own family and friends, your God is too small. He cares about every person on the face of this earth. Pray for the millions who are perishing without hearing about Jesus. Pray for those who go to bed hungry every night. Pray for those in prison, and those who take the gospel inside those dark walls. Pray for the persecuted church.

It may sound like a daunting task, but the Holy Spirit is ready to help you. Romans 8:26 says, "We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." He will bring to your mind who and what to pray for. Sometimes it helps to make a list of prayer needs, and you could start by including some of the things I have mentioned in this blog.

I believe when we begin to pray as God intends us to pray, we will never utter lame prayers for good parking spaces. We will be so caught up in the wonder of partnering with God in bringing His purposes to pass in the world that self-serving prayers will no longer be in our vocabulary.