Prayer

Dr. David Fraze: So we have a great rest of the semester scheduled in chapel, and I want to encourage you again, man, show up every opportunity.
We don't do this just so you can check a box.
We believe it'll make a difference in your life.
And as we've said over and over again, what you put into it is what you get out of it.
So I know some of you, I know the patterns.
I was a student.
You know, you're going to sit in the back.
You're going to be in the bathroom.
You're going to wait so you can sit in the seats that are open for the late people.
And then you're going to run to do whatever you want to do.
I want to encourage you to do something crazy. You can actually move down forward and just sit
there for a while and rest and rest. Like right now, I appreciate it. I see that there's very
few glows on your face. And this morning is going to be one of these chapels that is totally your
participation. I'm about to walk off the stage and you're going to have a time to answer some
questions to be in a time of prayer and it's very possible you can just say well
forget about this and I'm just gonna sit here I'm gonna be respectful then we'll
be done but I think you probably want more how many of y'all when you were at
spring break it was not necessarily the academic pressures that you wanted to
take a break from but life felt heavy is anybody with me life was heavy before
break for me. In a matter of a week, it was two suicides of teenagers in Lubbock and all that
that has to do with it. There were things of abuse and broken marriages. There was constant
contact of the fellow who is trying to keep troops safe from all these missiles attacks and the
prayers. And some of my students were in a classroom when he called just to want to pray
at that moment. There's concerns over kind of the unrest in the political division.
And I found myself very tired. My wife and I have some friends in Junction and they're older than
we are, kind of mentors of ours. And they live out on a ranch and I go and play cowboy for a few
days and work with the animals with them. And we went to the river just to fish for a while.
and this guy who has seen great success as a petroleum engineer guy has seen lots of success
as an elder in the lord's church someone this family it's pretty amazing they actually started
a ministry that that goes into strip clubs and pulls these ladies out and and helps them
with their identity and to get back on their feet again i looked at him just he and i and i said are
were you ever scared?
I don't know how, and I told him how old I was.
I don't know how to be my age.
What am I supposed to do?
And we shared the next 30 minutes with tears in our eyes,
but at the same time, thinking about life and the impact,
the things we can't control, the things we can control.
And he calls me Fraze.
He goes, Fraze, you're a good man.
It's all needed here.
I said, Jacoby, you're a good man.
Then we went and ate a steak, which is what you do in Junction, Texas.
It was awesome.
But we just sat outside and watched birds that night and just sat until the basketball games came on.
That reminded me of something of how much I don't control, but it also centered, again, my wife and I and those two individuals kind of basically on Christ.
because we prayed a lot during that weekend.
And I don't have a lot to offer you.
I don't have a lot of great answers to the world's problems,
but I do know who does,
and he promised when a storm hits the house,
you can survive if it's built on him.
I do know the person who said,
if you cast all your anxieties on me,
you're going to have a peace that passes understanding.
I know that guy, and I know the guy that Paul talks about
that says I can do everything through that guy
because Christ has been there, done that, got the T-shirt,
And all he's asking me to do is follow him even when I don't know where I'm going.
Is anybody with me on that?
So today we're going to pray.
This chair represents a conversation you're about to have with the Father in heaven.
I know he's everywhere, but I think he's going to be here for you today.
And I want you to concentrate on that chair as we go through just a series of questions and prayer responses.
You can read the screen.
the first one's going to be
kind of taking a moment
and thanking God for all of your blessings
ran across a guy that's been in my
I call it my youth group in Junction
I've been going there for six years
about six kids, one of them just got a kidney replacement
we thought he was going to die
only a matter of months ago
you've never seen a kid
so close to God
when you're 17 thinking you're going to die
then God gives you a kidney
and you don't have to take dialysis every night like he was doing.
Very grateful.
So even if you're going through something harsh,
I want you to think about the things that you're grateful for.
Literally count your blessings.
Then, after that, we're going to shift
and the next question will be,
what do you want to tell the Father?
You know, it's all right to lament.
It's all right to ask questions.
A third, if not half of the Psalms, are actually those who ask God to show up when things don't make sense.
And after that, what do you want to ask him to do about these things?
What do you need to ask the Father to do?
And then, I want you to express your desire to trust the Father's answer.
And then you'll be directed, just in your way, to say, Amen.
and we'll go from there.
So everybody take a deep breath with me.
Read the screens.
Address the chair and let's have a time of prayer.
We thank you for listening.
We thank you for helping us remember how blessed we truly are.
to be in an air-conditioned building,
to be close to friends, to be safe,
to be able to go to class and be stressed by education,
Father, to be a student athlete,
Father, to be a person in leadership,
to be a professor, to be staff.
We are so blessed to be where we are.
And Father, forgive us when we complain about things,
when there's individuals in the world that are just trying to avoid missiles being dropped on their heads.
Forgive us for our weakness.
And let us count and use those blessings.
Father, we thank you so much for hearing all the concerns.
We know there are things that are almost unspeakable for some.
And Father, we pray that they will reach out to this community that walks with them,
But at the same time, we want them to reach out to you and for you to meet them in those thin spaces between heaven and earth and give them that peace and give them direction and say something.
And Father, we pray that as we struggle between what our will is and yours,
you've heard what we want out of our situations,
but we also pray that we can accept your direction in our lives
and what you think is best.
You are God and we are not.
There's a deep comfort in that because we know you can't control
what we so desperately tried to control.
We're so thankful that you know
our thoughts through the power of the Spirit
when we don't even have words to speak.
And in the end,
those who know you win.
Thank you for that assured victory.
And all who say, Amen.
One of the most comforting things that happened
and you won't know till your grandpa because getting a hug from a kid is great but your
grandkids there's just an extra level and they're real greedy for your time
and so when you're sitting in a chair and your grandkid comes in
and all you hear is pop and just bullets over it makes the world right
there's a reason I believe with all of my heart here's theological phrase when Jesus says become
like a little child the wonder and the amazement that some of us lost a long time ago with our
reason this time it's more than just what the questions were it's more than the words you use
you don't have to be a communicator and speak eloquent words to God he just wants to hear pop
he's the God who says just run and jump on my lap I am your refuge and that's what my
granddaughter feels with me and that's what your father wants for you it's been good to be in this
space there's two things I want to remind you of one outside LCU for LBK is happening this Thursday
and we're going to have a big send-off on the steps of the president and Sam and some worship
music. It's going to be awesome. Sam from Monterey. Also today, right after chapel, Adela Ochoa
is going to give her life to Christ in baptism. She wanted me to let you know about it. It's
going to be cold, but let's warm it up some for her. So if you don't have class and want to hang
around, we'll call your order and attention to that. Has it been good to be here today?
It's been good to be here today.
Yeah.
So look to the person to your right and left and say,
we walk with you.
Go ahead.
Then say, we walk with you as we walk out of here.
Have a great day.