Thanksgiving Thoughts

By Johnny Hester

     From time to time I am reminded of the need to examine my personal prayer life. With Thanksgiving week approaching, this seems to be an opportune time to do so again. In a recent mailing I found a quote from the late G.K. Wallace.
     Brother Wallace was highly esteemed as a preacher, educator and author. It was my privilege to attend one of his Bible course offerings at Freed-Hardeman College back in the mid-sixties. The following is a quote from his autobiography:
“Prayer is misunderstood by many of us who call upon God.  We think of prayer simply as a fire escape.  Prayer to us is something to be used only in an emergency.  Prayer is to be used by us only when sickness and sorrow come into our lives.  We should understand that God did not give us the privilege of prayer to be used only in time of trouble.  It is not simply a ‘fox-hole’ comfort” (G. K. Wallace, Autobiography and Retirement Sermons, Sermon on “Prayer,” p. 165).
    Brother Wallce’s observations regarding prayer reminded me of the inspired words of the apostle Paul found in Ephesians 5:15-21, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
    Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,  
giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. 

- Johnny Hester preaches for the Matthews Church of Christ in Matthews, MO. He may be contacted at johnnyhester@yahoo.com