Short and Long prayers

        

         While in boot camp in the summer of 1958, I had a time in the pool. I don't mind the pool, but I am not much of a friend of diving. We were instructed to jump off the end of the high diving board to practice “abandoning the ship.” The water below was still, which made it look even farther down. Now, there was a man with a long pole that if you didn't jump or hesitated too long, he would knock you off the diving board. I closed my eyes, held my nose and jumped. You then had to dog paddle for a long time and if you attempted to get near the edge of the pool to hold on, the man with the pole was there again to push you away. You were in the middle of the simulated ocean and you had to either sink or swim. Matthew 14:30 says, " But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me." 

       A lot can be learned about the experience of the young Apostle. He saw Jesus walking on the water and asked Jesus to let him walk on the water. Jesus said, "come" and so Peter actually began walking on the water. It didn't last oo long as the large waves soon got Peter's attention and he seemingly took his eyes off of Jesus and onto the where he was. As soon as he did that, He began to sink. Peter than uttered perhaps the quickest and shortest prayer in the Bible. Three words are recorded as Peter began to sin, "Lord save me." He didn't have time to organize a prayer such as, "Lord, may your humble servant find grace and help in my time of need and that I might be rescued from this terrible state in which I find myself...." No, He simply said, "Lord save me." The Lord was right there and Peter probably didn't even get his head wet. The Lord's hand was there to rescue Peter from the sea. One lesson for us is that the length of one's prayer doesn't make any difference. Short prayers and long prayers are all equally good. Second, don't try to fix the situation yourself. You may not have sufficient time to rectify any situation in which you find yourself. Call out to God for help right at the beginning and don't wait for your going down for the third time before you call out for help. Third, God has the power to help you when you call out. Many of us come to situations in our lives when we have to call out to God for help. We should be calling out the moment that we realize that we are peril. We don't need to analyze the situation and try to come up with possible routes to take, but we do need to call out to God in prayer. Here again, we emphasize the fact that the length of the prayer is not what make it more or less possible, but the intents of the heart. God will provide the help that you need today and every day. God doesn't go on vacation nor does he sleep or is off doing a building project. He is always available to help. Hebrews 4:16 reminds us, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” You and I can go directly to the throne of God to plead for help. Have you ever thought about that? Have you ever thought about where you are when you call out to Him. You are right in God's throne room and surely you can call out to Him, “Lord, save me.” So if you find yourself in the position of sinking or swimming, call out to the Lord immediately and then you will realize the God is holding on to you and lifting you up. Praise God for His answers to prayers, both short and long.