War Room

When I first saw the advertisement for the movie, War Room, I thought, okay, here we go again, another blood and guts movie: special effects, bombs, explosions, guns; angry men killing each other and trying to survive.  It is the typical stuff for most war movies. 

My son-in-law slipped off with some of his buddies to see it.  This further confirmed my assumptions.  The movie was number one at the box office on Labor Day.  I decided to check it out.  So, I took my wife, we bought a ticket, and wandered into the theater to sit back and see for ourselves.

There are no bombs or explosions.  No one gets killed. There is no blood.  War Room is all about the battle taking place every day in homes around the world. Husbands and wives whose marriages are falling apart.  Parents absorbed in their own problems, trying to make ends meet, stressed out and blaming each other.  Children falling through the cracks.

The “War Room” is a closet, a place to pray. 

It could be a break-through movie.  It could save marriages.  It could lead husbands and wives to discover what we discovered years ago, that there is nothing more powerful than prayer.  Across the years my wife has prayed for me, and I am convinced it has made all the difference. 

We have always prayed.  But years ago I realized that I forget what I pray for.  And, when God answers prayer, I seldom give thanks or recognize His answer.  I started writing down prayer requests as I prayed.  Later, when I reviewed my prayer requests, I was astounded at how faithful God was to answer my prayers.  Of course, sometimes His answer was, “No.”  Sometimes He taught me that I was asking for the wrong thing. That in itself was helpful. And sometimes He granted what I requested. 

I learned that prayer is a conversation with God.  He speaks to us as much as we speak to Him.  Not in an audible voice, but with an inner voice.  Often the best part of prayer is listening to God. I discovered that when I pray in the early morning, the conversation with God lingers and continues through the rest of the day.

 I have never met anyone who felt they prayed too much.  I have met many, including myself, who wished they had prayed more.  When Billy Graham was 92, a reporter asked him if he had it to do over, would he would do anything differently.  He said, “Yes.  I would spend more time in meditation and prayer.”

James wrote, “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:2-3). 

Jesus said, “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:9-11).  “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6).