The Prayer Path

My Thanks to Joe Martin and several other volunteers for creating the Prayer Path on our church property at Southridge.  Last Saturday, my wife Julie, son Brian, Brian's friend Nathan and this writer spent a delightful couple of hours strolling, and stopping and praying along this path. The temperature was cool but the sky was blue and the leaves on the trees had some wonderful color mixed among the green.  We enjoyed quiet conversation, some exploring, lots of reflection, and even found an unexpected of supply of Hickory Nuts.  (you read more about this in an earlier article Hickory Nut Cake) So we collected enough Hickory Nuts for a cake or two while leaving plenty for the squirrels.  We now face several hours of work to crack and shell them so if you have some extra time and have strong hands let me know.  In addition to our party of four we did encounter a few others along the path as it winds through woods, and fields, and up and over hills. 

The real significance of the prayer path is not just its beauty and uniqueness, it is the concept that Joe built into the design.  Five spots along the way one encounters a beautiful stone bench with inlaid glass designs and a small sign that invites the traveler to stop and pray.  It gives suggestions for prayer that are built around the theme of our purpose and strategy statements.  Our group stopped and in the stillness of our seclusion we took to God our praise and requests.  As I thought about these stops, I came to the conclusion that if I had not been invited to, and reminded to pray I may not have taken as much time as did to pray.  I have tried to make it a habit to pray each time I am on the land but to have my progress interrupted by the need to pray was good for me. 

We are commanded in 1Thessalonians 5:17 to "Pray without ceasing."  Too often I get too busy doing what I believe are good things and do not stop and pray.  The prayer path has been a good reminder to me that as I journey through life we all need to find some prayer stops.  God is waiting to hear from us.

Jesse Waggoner
Associate Pastor
© 2002 Bible Center Church

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