I don’t often recommend sermons: there are hundreds or thousands out there that are worthwhile. However, my brother-in-law Jim Cross of Lexington, NC, put me on to this one, and it is worth the 26 minutes. Rear Admiral Barry Black, USN Retired, now Chaplain of the US Senate, preached this at the 2017 National Prayer Breakfast. Appropriately enough, it’s about prayer!

Here’s a snippet of what he said with the scripture he used:

• Pray for all people

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. (1 Timothy 2.1, NLT)

• Pray from a sense of need

Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested. (1 Chronicles 4.9, 10, NKJV)

• Pray intimately

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You. (John 17.1, NKJV)

• Pray for our leaders

Pray…for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2.2 – 4, NKJV)

He closed with his personal story of growing up in inner-city Baltimore. His mother encouraged her children to memorize scripture, and soon Barry was searching for scripture to help him know Jesus better as we suggested a few days ago. He closed with the words of an old hymn, saying that his security was not in his position nor in the government but in Jesus:

All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household. (Philippians 4.22, NKJV)