Monday Morning Manna: Pandemic Prayer

In the early days of the Coronavirus quarantine, I was extremely restless and frustrated. Even in retirement, I’ve been running close to full speed. Sitting in my den recliner I was reading my Bible, and praying, and asking God what I was to “do” since my travel was now limited and cancellations had caused more Liquid Paper than ink on my calendar. Having just read James 1:22, “Be doers of the word,” I looked up and saw on the fireplace mantle, my wife’s display of all the books I had written, and it was as if God spoke audibly, although I heard no sound. “You don’t have to travel to write another book, so do it.” Thus, was born my most recent book. It took a few weeks to write, and a few more weeks to publish, but last week, “Praying through the Beatitudes” was released – an answer to my pandemic prayer. As a big fan of twentieth century Methodist missionary, E. Stanley Jones, I have long had one of his quotes in my notes. “Prayer is commission. Out of the quietness with God, power is generated that turns the spiritual machinery of the world. When you pray, you begin to feel the sense of being sent, that the divine compulsion is upon you.” Sitting in my den, I definitely felt commissioned, even compelled to write. Prayer commissioned. Prayer driven. Prayer answered. By the way, should you want a copy, it can be ordered by title, on amazon. And what has God directed you to “do” during the pandemic?

Dr. Dan Crawford, Senior Professor at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, is the WestCoast Baptist Association’s Spiritual Life & Leadership Mentor. Follow Dan on Twitter @DrDanRC and Facebook www.facebook.com/dan.crawford