The Power of the Bended Knee

Birds go to sleep on their perches, but they never fall off. This is because of the tendons in the bird's legs. They are so constructed that when the leg is bent at the knee, the claws contract and grip like a steel trap. The claws refuse to let go until the knees are unbent again. The bended knee gives the bird the ability to hold on to his perch so tightly.

Isn't this also the secret of the holding power of the Christian? Daniel found this to be true. Surrounded by a pagan environment, tempted to compromise with evil, urged to weaken his grip on God, he refused to let go. He held firm when others faltered because he was a man of prayer. He knew the power of the bended knee.

From sleeping birds we can learn the secret of holding things which are most precious to us--honesty, purity, thoughtfulness, honor, character. That secret is in the knee bent in prayer, seeking to get a firmer grip on those values which make life worth living. When we hold firmly to God in prayer, we can rest assured he will hold tightly to us.

--Rollin S. Burhans

Thoughts on Prayer

They never sought in vain that sought the Lord aright! (Drummond Burns, b. 1823)


Between the humble and contrite heart and the majesty of heaven there are no barriers; the only password is prayer. (Hosea Ballou, b. 1771)


Prayer is the voice of faith. (Richard Horne, b. 1803)


You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance. (Kahlil Gibran, b. 1884)


O God, if in the day of battle I forget Thee, do not Thou forget me. (William King, b. 1663)


God warms his hands at man's heart when he prays. (John Masefield, b. 1878)


Pray as if everything depended upon God, and work as if everything depended upon man. (Francis J. Spellman, b. 1889)

Higher Thoughts

Lord, let me not be too content
with life in trifling service spent--
Make me aspire!

When days with petty cares are filled,
Let me with fleeting thought be thrilled
Of something higher!

Help me to long for mental grace
To struggle with the commonplace
I daily find.

My little deeds not bring to fruit
A crop of little thought to suit
A shriveled mind.

Author Unknown

Sincere Prayer

'Tis not enough to bend the knee,
And words of prayer to say;
The heart must with the lips agree;
Or else we do not pray.

For words,without the heart,
The Lord will never hear;
Nor will he to those lips attend,
Whose prayers are not sincere.

Author Unknown

The Five Finger Prayer

Your thumb is nearest to you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, "a sweet duty."

The next finger is the pointer finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct, and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.

The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger; as an piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble, or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

Lastly comes our pinkie; the smallest finger of all, which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "the least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

Author Unknown

Be Sincere

We often say our prayers,
But do we ever pray?
And do the wishes of our heart
Go with the words we say?

We may as well kneel down
And worship gods of stone
As offer to the living God
A prayer of words alone.

For words without the heart
The Lord will never hear,
Nor will He to those lips attend
Whose prayers are not sincere.

Author Unkown

More On Prayer

Every time we pray, our horizon is altered, our attitude to things is altered, not sometimes but every time, and the amazing thing is that we don't pray more. (Oswald Chambers)

It would be rash to say that there is any prayer in which God never grants. But the strongest candidate is the prayer we might express in the single word encore. (C. S. Lewis)

When life knocks you to your knees--well, that's the best position in which to pray, isn't it? (Ethel Barrymore)

Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees. (William Cowper & John Newton)

Any revitalization of faith in this country will have to start with prayer, in which we gain a sense of the living presence of God. (George H. Gallup, Jr.)

On Prayer

I have often learned more in prayer than I have been able to glean from much reading and reflection. (Martin Luther)

He who prays fervently knows not whether he prays or not, for he is not thinking of the prayer which he makes, but of God, to whom he makes it. (Francis de Sales)

The penalty of not praying is the loss of one's capacity to pray. (Edward J. Farrell)

To pray is the greatest thing we can do, and to do it well, there must be calmness, time, and deliberation. (E. M. Bounds)

In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without heart. (John Bunyan)

I am often, I believe, praying for others when I should be doing things for them. It's so much easier to pray for a bore than to go and see him. (C. S. Lewis)

O Give Thanks to the Lord

O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
for His steadfast love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
those He redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south. . . .

For He satisfies the thirsty,
and the hungry he fills with good things. . . .

He brought them out of darkness and gloom,
and He saved them from their distress. . . .

He sent out His word and healed them,
and delivered them from destruction. . . .

Let those who are wise give heed to these things,
and consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

(Excerpted from Psalm 107, NRSV)

A Child's Prayer

God make my life a little light,
Within the world to glow;
A tiny flame that burneth bright
Wherever I may go.
God make my life a little flower,
That giveth joy to all,
Content to bloom in native bower,
Although its place be small.
God make my life a little song,
That comforteth the sad;
That helpeth others to be strong,
And makes the singer glad.
God make my life a little staff,
Whereon the weak may rest,
That so what health and strength I have
May serve my neighbors best.

(M. Bentham-Edwards)