"Old Camel Knees"
The writer of the NT book of James & Jesus’ earthly brother, James is said to have had a unique characteristic by the fourth-century church historian, Eusebius. According to Eusebius, James’ nickname could have been, “Old Camel Knees.” Eusebius writes...
“...he was in the habit of entering alone into the temple, and was frequently found
upon his knees begging forgiveness for the people, so that his knees became hard
like those of a camel, in consequence of his constantly bending them in his worship
of God, and asking forgiveness for the people.”
I don’t know about you, but such a nickname leads me to desire a deeper, more fervent prayer-life.
God’s Word commands us (1 Thess. 5:17), “pray without ceasing,” but each of us probably, at least at times, struggle in prayer. And we then struggle to teach our families to pray. Take a look at some practical ways to incorporate prayer into your family – this is selections from an article written by Chuck Lawless. You can accessed the full article by visiting https://chucklawless.com/2024/11/12-ways-to-build-prayer-into-your-home/).
Our homes ought to be places of prayer as we intercede for family members and others. Getting started in building a praying family, though, is not always easy. Here are 14 ways to help you get started:
- Agree on a “Spouse Prayer Covenant.” Christian husbands and wives should pray together every day, even if only for a few minutes. That doesn’t happen, though, unless we plan it. Covenant to pray together at least once every day.
- Plan a daily parent/child prayer time. I realize that preschoolers may give us only 30 seconds of attention (if that much), but take that time each day. Individually let your children hear you pray for them – and don’t stop just because your kids become teens. They, too, need to hear your praying voice.
- Do family prayerwalks. Finding time to take a family walk might be a struggle, but plan at least a weekly walk through your neighborhood. Pray aloud for your neighbors. If you see “For Sale” signs, pray for families in the midst of a move. View toys as a trigger to pray for children. Teach your children to say those prayers.
- Develop a family prayer list. Every family member probably knows somebody who does not know Jesus. Create that list of names, and pray over it during at least one meal per week.
- Set up a “Prayer Calendar” to pray for your church. Work with your family to determine different folks to pray for each day (e.g., pastors, Bible study leaders, friends), and put those names on a calendar. Make a calendar for each kid’s room, and remind your family to pray each day. Your kids will probably enjoy crossing off each date as they pray.
- Utilize a “prayer jar.” This idea is not original with me, but I like the strategy. Create and decorate a jar, and then write prayer requests on popsicle sticks throughout the week. Encourage family members to pray about one request whenever they walk past the jar.
- Each evening, pray about each family member’s next day. Dad may have an important meeting. Mom has a doctor’s appointment. One of the kids has a test. Make prayer relevant by praying specifically for each family member.
(visit the article for the full list of 14 suggestions)
There are many things that will not happen until we pray and pray fervently.
- ..time will march on until the day the Lord has appointed for us, but...
- We will strive to operate within our own strength.
- We will falsely believe that we are self-sufficient.
- And our growth in Christ is severely hindered.
I’m convinced, church: the Lord has much for us as a congregation that we are missing out on because we fail to express our completely dependency on Him through prayer. May it be said of us, “That’s a praying church!”
May The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Cor. 13:14, ESV
Pastor loves you, church!