Prayer as First Responder

• Posted on sdgale
• in 'CHOP Talk' Blog
• on March 25, 2013
• Comments Off on Prayer as First Responder

Sometimes the title says it all.  In my teaching on evangelism, I’ve often referred to a book by Ron Johnson entitled, How Will They Hear If We Don’t Listen?

Typically we think of evangelism as talking.  Technically it is.  But we want to talk with people, not at them.  We want to enter their experience, understand their minds, and relate them in a real way.  To meet people armed with the truth of God’s Word and the hope of the gospel, we need to listen.

Just as the title of Ron Johnson’s book pretty much makes the case, so with this blog post, you don’t really need to read past the title to get the point.  Prayer is to be our first response to situations of life. It is the foot we step out on to deal with things. Prayer is not to be a last resort, when all else fails. It is not to be an afterthought.  Prayer is to be the first word…and the last…and the conversation in between.

When we think of first responders our minds go to the courageous police and fire fighters who brave danger.  Others may actually be first to the scene, but first responders are on the scene with the capacity to do something.

That’s the way it is with prayer.  By trained reflex, we turn to the God who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or could even think.  With Him is not only ability, but also wisdom.  We cry out to Him in our weakness and ignorance, as well as our strengths and understanding, entrusting ourselves and our situations to Him.