Day 2- Pray

This word doesn't seem very promising because we use it so often and it has become all too familiar to us. Anytime we regard a word as familiar we are in a dangerous place. My sister, Jaclyn, often quotes Michael Bauman with a very insightful phrase, "When words lose their meaning people lose their lives." Thus, the word pray seems to be, in the 21st century church, becoming too familiar and it is rapidly losing its meaning. "I'll pray for you," "Our prayers are with so and so," "Our prayers go out..." Phrases like this have denigrated the awesomely powerful word, "PRAY." When we say, "I'll pray for you," really means "I feel really sorry for what has happened to you and by saying I'll pray makes me look spiritual and caring." Rather than truly meaning we'll pray for the person's needs we are really just saying we empathize with them. How lame a use for a commanding and all consuming word! In verse 14 we see the phrase (in KJV) "bow my (Paul; see above) knees." It then goes on to say why he bows his knees in the verse we are examining. Rather than use the word pray the KJV uses the phrase "Bow the knees." When I cross-referenced this phrase I found several interesting verses that used the same phrase. Solomon bowed his knees at the dedication of the temple. Obviously during such an amazing event Solomon was so reverent and venerating that he recognized his need (not a desire or feel good idea, but a necessity) to get low in the presence of God's "big-ness." Another verse was when God told Elijah that He (God) had "reserve[d] seven thousand in Israel-all WHOSE KNEES HAVE NOT BOWED DOWN to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him 1 Kings 19:18." WOW! Remember how despicable the acts and devotion of the Israelites was. They were devoted to sexual and perverted images and idols and were committing lewd and disgusting sexual sins. These debauched Israelites had literally thrown themselves wholeheartedly into these disgusting, yet devoted, sin fests. They had bowed their knees to Baal by their unheeding devotion to this perversion. But I love how the phrase is used because it says God had reserved (chosen, set apart, redeemed, Predestined, etc.) 7,000 who hadn't thrown themselves blindly into the perversions and had bowed their knees only to the LORD Almighty.
Further, there are several references to this phrase in the Psalms, Isaiah, Ezra (when he confessed the Israelites sin of intermarriage with the Babylonians), Daniel, Luke, many times in acts and finally in the present verses. Every time, however, this verse shows up the people "bowing their knees," show whole-heartedness, whether confessing sin, praying for others, or even to false gods (via: Baal). All that to say, therefore, Paul was not just saying, "Oh, yeah, I'll pray for you guys." I love the Steven Curtis Chapman song that talks about praying for people right then and there rather than waiting, act like the next five minutes are my last five minutes. Paul is saying the same thing SCC did in his song, I'm praying right here and now, on my knees, crying out, heedless of my image, imploring God, asking God, literally begging God for...well I guess I'll leave that till next time. However, the important thing is to remember that this word "pray" is much more than how we see it as we blindly read through scriptures. This word "pray" is full-on, not half-hearted.