Answer to prayer, a cause to pray...

What do we pray for? Do we really think about what we are praying for? Are we praying for things for our own enjoyment or are we truly praying for spiritual things? And then, on those times when we do pray for spiritual things, do we really want it to happen or are we just praying for that because we know we are supposed to? I ask all these questions, because I have been pondering them myself all day.

I mentioned to all of you that there was a family I baby-sit that I have been witnessing to. Last night I went on a "ride along" with this officer. I was using it as partial fulfillment of a HR thing for student teaching, as well as I knew it would be a great time to talk with him, hopefully about spiritual things. Mostly our whole conversation the whole time I was with him was about spiritual things. He asked about Baptists - why we believe what we believe, he asked about why we don't drink, what our view on homosexuality is (he's opposed) and what stand our church would take against it, he asked about what we believe about the Ten Commandments, he asked about what our view on murderers is and if we think they can get into heaven. At this point I had a perfect opening to really just give him the complete gospel and explain to him that we would believe a murderer could go to heaven if he was completely trusting in God. This made him ask why a murderer can get to heaven if he has murdered someone, "isn't that like the worst sin anyone can commit?" I then explained to him that while murder is a sin, God looks at sin as sin, and if we are basing our admittance to heaven upon what we have or haven't done on this earth, then we are putting our faith in ourselves and not in God, so therefore this person is not truly saved. He asked about prayer, the Bible and what we believe about the Bible. He just had question after question. Then at the very end of the night, he asked about church. I told him we would love to have them visit our church any times. It looks like they are really thinking about coming on the 26th. It's amazing how much you know until you start witnessing, then you have no idea what you're talking about. Through I conversation though, I think he may be saved, he's just searching for answers to things. If he is not saved, however, I believe the Holy Spirit is really working on his heart.

Have you ever listened to a young child pray? They pray with such an open heart. Why don't we pray like that? Is it because we don't have an open heart, are we ashamed to sound like we really mean it? I know often times don't pray with an open heart. Please pray that he will continue to seek the Lord and find the peace that he looking for during this time of his life.