"If you're scared, say you're scared."
How many times have we heard that phrase? How many times have we spoken it? I know I heard it from my younger brother, Buddy, many times. Usually it was said as a dare to try to get me to follow him on the next dumb thing he had in mind. Things such as taking a running leap off the roof of the house into the swimming pool or any of dozens of things that could have gotten one, or both, of us beat up, hurt, killed, or arrested. It always started off with that phrase, "If you're scared, say you're scared." He didn't mind doing things we thought were crazy, but he did want to take someone with him.
Us bikers ain't skeered of nut'n. Just ask us, we'll tell ya. We've got a church full of big, bad bikers but we've found that one thing that will make them step back. When it comes time for us to step up and pray with, and for, our brothers and sisters we don't move. We just sit there. Is it fear? If it is where does this fear come from? Why am I even bringing this up? It's probably a subject that will make some people angry, but it's an anger with roots in fear and in knowing that we aren't doing all that we should.
Yesterday while Ms. Diane and I were headed home from running errands in North Augusta she really hit me in the face with "If you're scared, say you're scared." Not with those exact words but it could have been. We were talking about the church and things that needed to be done when she told me that it's time for the men of the church to once again step forward and start doing what needs to be done. "This means you too. You need to lead this renewal." She could have been talking about any of a dozen things but she was hurt that on Thursday night when Pastor Ray and visiting minister Ric asked for prayer warriors to step forward, women were coming to the alter but the men were sitting on their hands and not moving. She wanted to know why we weren't stepping forward and praying for with those men who needed us. Pastor Ray had just talked Sunday about a lot of people in the Church just sitting there on their hands and not stepping forward for anything. He could have been talking directly to me.
What Diane said got me to thinking and questioning myself and man did I come up with the questions. Who among us is qualified to be a prayer warrior? What qualifies us to be be someone who can step forward and ask God to help someone? I had a lot more questions than answers so I decided to grab a book and do some studying. There are probably hundreds of books on the subject but I figured that the best book I could find on the subject was probably the one written many years ago and has stood the test of time, The Bible.
I did learn that the term prayer warrior is not found in the Bible. But I did learn that as Christians we are all called to be prayer warriors. "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the most Holy Spirit," (Jude 1:20) We need to make sure that we keep God first in our lives, read his word and pray aggressively so that we know that our prayers will be answered. I have no problem in my own room or somewhere alone saying a prayer for someone who has asked, but I always worry that I may do more harm than good by attempting to pray for someone else while we are at the alter. I have prayed earnestly on this and know without a doubt that the Lord will protect me from myself and will give me the right words at the right time to help those that need it.
As Christians we all pray, but what type of Christian are we? Are we the ones who just pray without much meaning as in "Lord forgive us our trespasses and we forgive our trespassers," or are we the Christians who pray in earnest, knowing that the Lord is with us and will answer our prayers in his way?
I am tired of sitting on my hands and I hope that each of you will help me and our Church as we return to what we were meant to be. For my part I will make a sincere effort to improve on my walk with God and I will pray earnestly and make prayer a priority in my own life. I will believe with my whole heart that my prayers will be answered, on my behalf, and on behalf of all that need my prayers. I will continue to read and study my Bible so that I may have the right scripture when I need it. Most of all I will trust in the Lord to allow the correct words to flow from my heart and my mouth as I attempt help and comfort for all who are in need.
Before I close this out tonight I would like to give a shout out to a true man of God who has no problem with praying for any who need it. I had never met Pastor Ric Lyons before this past Thursday evening when he came and sat in front of Diane and I. He knew things about Diane and I and the things we do in the church that he really should not have known. At first I put it off to Pastor Ray telling him certain things but as we continued to speak, he knew things Ray didn't. As we spoke he told me that I had ideas for the church and was a force to be reckoned with in the church and that it is time for me to take a stand. He said that he didn't know exactly what it was that I was being led to stand up for, but that I had ideas that could help lead and put the Faith Riders back on the course it needs to be on. I don't know what I need to do. I will tell you to get ready as his words gave me the confidence I was lacking to stand and fight for whatever it is I'm being led to do. I'm sure that with prayer and faith it will work out.
Maybe what I have written tonight was part of what he was speaking about, but please know that I, for one, will no longer be sitting on my hands. I will work for my God and for our church. I will not be afraid to stand up and stand out.
