Today’s song Sweet Hour of Prayer is one of my favorites. It always reminds me of another one of my favorites I Need Thee Every Hour. Today’s song speaks of the proper, scriptural use of prayer. But today I going to write about what I think and I didn’t just make this up out of my own mind, I’m going to use the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Once again the subject of prayer in schools is now a hot issue since President Trump rolled out new guidelines for prayer in schools. There are a lot of people that go to church with are making posts, bragging about Trump and how happy God is with him. But I don’t know so much about that after all how did Jesus tell us NOT to pray? In the Book of Matthew: Jesus says
What is Jesus talking about and what does it have to do with prayer in schools? I give an example: Today there’s something know as Meet Me At the Pole. Best I can tell this is where church leaders, mostly Youth pastors gather around the flagpole at Middle, Jr high and high schools and I don’t know if they hold hands or not, we didn’t do anything like this when I was in school, then they have a prayer. So what’s wrong with that? I’ll give an example; This is once again a story of Jr. high and Little Donny, I’ve talked about Little Donny before, you know I told the story of how there was a Jewish boy who went to the same Jr. high as Little Donny. And how Little Donny would make fun of his name. Remember the little boy last name was Schiff, and Little Donny would always call him, Schitt. Yeah that Little Donny. Anyway that spoiled, cocky rich kid would always meet at the pole. And Little Donny was very loud and everyone knew Little Donny was there. But here’s the problem come gym class, Little Donny would be in the locker room bragging about how he would grab girls in the hallways. And oh no he said he wasn’t grabbing them by the arm. Do you know where Little Donny was grabbing girls? But wait he would always be at the pole praying showing all the kids how “good” he is. Sometimes there wouldn’t even be no one else there! Is Little Donny just doing all this praying, as Jesus said to be seen by men? And by the way just ask any boy in Jr. high and he will tell you they are MEN!
Do you see the problem I have with Meeting At the Pole? There could even be one or maybe two Youth pastors who refuse to do the whole pole thing because Jesus said thou shalt not pray this way. But in today’s world I’m sure if one refused to do this he would very quickly be fired! Today you have to know politics is much more important than following the words of Jesus.
It was way back in 1962 that the Supreme Court took prayer out of schools. I was born that year so I don’t know what their talking about, and by the way I seem to make it alright without prayer in school. But the way my pastor talks the way it worked before 1962, before class the kids would say the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a prayer. By saying the Pledge of Allegiance, I guess that kept the kids from joining ISSI and the prayer made everyone feel better. I guess that sounds alright, but what does Jesus say about it. the next two verses Jesus says:
These verses used to be a big deal to Southern Baptist back in the day. If some of you have never been to a Southern Baptist worship service you’ll notice something missing right off. When someone prays whoever is praying will never ever say something like this towards the end of their prayer: and let us remember the words of Christ, and then the whole congregation will say Our Father, which art in Heaven–reciting the Lord’s Prayer all together. That was not done last Sunday and will not be done next Sunday at my Southern Baptist Church. Why? Because back in the day when Jesus said Thou Shalt Not it was taken very serious. Southern Baptist believe that we should not recite anything, which includes The Lord’s Prayer, in a way where it becomes a vain repetition. This turns The Lord’s Prayer into a ritual and us Southern Baptist just have a thing about doing rituals. A ritual would include things like those creepy chants you see in horror movies. You know where there’s a bunch of people dressed in monk robes with their faces covered by their hoods chanting something really creepy. Well us Southern Baptist are totally against creepy stuff during our worship services. Just saying! But the best I can tell that’s what Trump and his supporters want to do to our school children. They are to start each day with the Pledge of Allegiance making it kindof creepy then chanting some prayer which is without a doubt creepy. But Trump supporting pastors of today do not dare to preach on this passage of scripture, pretending Jesus never said this about prayer. And what do they won’t to accomplish with prayer in schools? If you believe Jesus all they will accomplish is their reward which is to be seen by men. You see this is great example of a heathen being praised by a bunch of hypocrites!