“Get High on Life” – Harold Keller

I, like most people who attend church, have at times sat through a service and soon after, could not tell anyone about the sermon. When I’m guilty of that, I’ll take the blame most of the time, but some pastors just rock you to sleep with ill-prepared, boring messages.

This past Sunday, I really paid attention. The preacher was well-prepared, was excited, had a great delivery, and got the job done in 25 or 30 minutes.

The title of his message was: “What Happens When a Church Prays.” the pastor said that when we pray, God hears, circumstances change, and when God answers our prayers, we, the believers, are surprised.

He then gave an example of a small community in a midwestern state that was in arms because a man wanted to build a barroom. The town didn’t have any barrooms, and the church members decided to pray that the barroom would burn down. Just before completion, lightning struck the building, and it was destroyed by fire.

The owner decided to sue the church for damages. When the two sides went before the judge, the church denied that they had anything to do with the fire. The owner of the barroom insisted that they were guilty as charged.

The judge who was hearing both parties in this seemingly bizarre case came to this conclusion. He said that the church members, evidently, didn’t believe in answered prayer, but the bar owner did.

The bottom line is that when we pray, God hears, He changes circumstances, and when prayers are answered, we are surprised. I thank God that He is so good, He answers prayers, regardless if believers have faith.

HAROLD KELLER writes this column as part of his affiliation with the Get High on Life religious motivational organization. Call 652-8477 or write to P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084.