<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter Snyder "Every good thing must come to an end," says an old proverb. In this life, that may be, but in the Big Picture, the truth is that we are saved by "Jesus Christ - the same yesterday, today, and forever." For centuries past, the Church's observation of the Resurrection has echoed this: Every Sunday is an Easter celebration; the first day of the New Creation stands upon the first day of the week and the first day of the Creation. The time devoted by the Church calendar to the Resurrection is not a day. It is not even a week (as is the case with Christmas and Pentecost). For Easter, we celebrate for a "week of weeks." Seven times seven days are given over to special celebration of Christ's resurrection and our own rising from the dead. Still, this isn't enough to honor and praise "the Lamb who was slain" who has "begun his reign." God grant you continued and unending joy in the resurrection. This week, we'll begin to look at prayer. A number of questions have come in over the past months, and we can spend a little time answering them and getting to know better how and why we talk to God. Q: What is prayer? A: Prayer is the believer's talk with God. In its narrow sense, prayer is a request or petition for benefits or mercy. Its wider definition can mean any communion of a soul with God. In this sense it can include adoration, which expresses a sense of God's goodness and greatness; confession, acknowledging unworthiness; supplication, asking pardon, grace, or other blessing; intercession, praying for others; thanksgiving. Individuals can and should pray. Groups of believers also join together in prayer, whether in the Church's worship or at the "family altar" of the home. The contents of individual prayers may vary, but to be a true prayer that is heard and answered, certain specifics are mentioned in the Bible. True prayers are prayed to the Triune God, the One True God. A prayer may specifically address the Trinity, or one or another of the Persons (Father, Son, or Holy Spirit). It must be prayed in the Name of Jesus. This doesn't mean that every prayer should end "in Jesus Name. Amen." But each prayer is made in confidence that Jesus is Lord and Savior, and that he continues to pray on behalf of the believers. Prayer also needs to be prayed in faith, with the belief that God will hear and answer it. Relating to this, prayers should be made in accordance with the will of God. This means that our God listens to those he knows as his own. Many addresses will get our words to him, but not "to whom it may concern." The old adage, "There are no atheists in foxholes" reminds us that people will, in times of stress, look for help from a source greater than they are. However, it doesn't mean that trouble or fear will bring about conversion, nor that God will choose to intervene to benefit those who do not believe in him. "If there is a god, hear me," is not the type of prayer God promises to hear. We'll look at a little more on prayer this week, then continue next Sunday. Q: Why should I pray? Doesn't God know what I need anyhow? A: First of all, God commands prayer. He also promises to hear. Matthew 7:7-8 says, "Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For anyone who continues to ask receives; anyone who continues to search finds; and to anyone who continues to knock, the door will be opened." God uses prayer to teach us to better know his Word and will. He will still give us what is needful, but just as parents teach their children by responding to their requests, so does our Heavenly Father teach what we should be asking for and how we should be asking. We'll examine this more closely when we take up "Thy will be done" in the Lord's Prayer. As for God's other reasons why we should pray, he wants us to ask for our own needs and those of others to be met and he wants us to acknowledge that he is God, and worthy of all praise. We'll look at more questions on prayer over the next few weeks. Until next Sunday, you may "Ask the Pastor" at P.O. Box 1080, Jasper, Texas; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com, or stop me on the street for a chat. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches, Jasper and Woodville, Texas, and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1996 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.