The Cracked Acorn: Prayer Station

Prayer, that beautiful English word -the Biblical word that offers us spiritual nourishment “in seasons of distress and grief My soul has often found relief and oft escaped the tempter’s snare, By thy return, sweet hour of prayer.” (W. Walford, w. 1845)

Dennis Bunboo, a recovering alcoholic, had the vision to build a prayer station near one of the metro area’s busiest traffic corners where more than 19,000 cars pass each day. This came to fulfillment and passersby left notes “cancer spreading, please pray”, “Help me off heroin addiction”, “I am homeless, pray that I find a job.” The small station became a fixture for prayer to those in distress; people came and prayed silently for help and comfort from God, and then refreshed went on with their daily lives.

Anything out of the ordinary in today’s world seems to have a short shelf life. Five days after the prayer station opened; Bunboo’s station received phone calls from people familiar with his past. He failed to reveal that he was listed in the county’s common offender registry. The county detective and the station agreed that Dennis,62, had made a clean break with his past, but the detective said that he worked on the premise that “once a convicted offender always a convicted offender.” So now for some undetermined date in the future, the prayer station is to be closed.

At a church we once attended, it became known that one of our returning visitors was possibly carrying AIDS. Imagine this!! We who represent the church exist for the purpose of reaching others and one walks in off the street. He had AIDS and members were concerned. But not for long, he was found murdered in his apartment probably for a small lottery winning. Gone was support to someone who needed it!

Saul of Tarsus persecuted Christians to the point that they were delivered in chains and suffered unto death for believing that Jesus was the Christ, the son of God. Saul(Paul) was converted and baptized but fellow Christians were anxious about his past. (Acts 9:26)

The Scriptures abound with help and encouragement for us to leave behind our old nature and look forward to the wealth that we have in our God. He is our everything! Martin Luther summed it up by writing “There but for the grace of God go I.”

In I Peter 5:7,8 “Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

Let’s close with a verse from #922 (Songs of FAITH and PRAISE)
I HEAR THE SAVIOR SAY, “THY STRENGTH INDEED IS SMALL; CHILD OF WEAKNESS WATCH AND PRAY, FIND IN ME, THINE ALL IN ALL. JESUS PAID IT ALL, ALL TO HIM I OWE; SIN HAD LEFT A CRIMSON STAIN, HE WASHED IT WHITE AS SNOW. (Elvina Hall, w. 1865)