Please note the following is an excerpt from “Jesus’ Prayer from A to Z”, of which I’m Editor.

-Y-


Yielded To One Another, by Yawberg, Bob


Prayer, heartfelt and unhindered, crosses many barriers, including the racial chasm in the church. Many years ago, a black man and his wife were called to Ft. Wayne, Indiana to start an inner city ministry. My experience with other races was very limited, having recently moved from a rural community. This was about to change.

Soon after Sam Winger’s arrival, we stood on a downtown street corner praying for one another. Sam began, “Lord, if someone talks about Bob, they are talking about Sam.” And I prayed likewise, “Lord, if someone is talking about Sam, they are talking about Bob.” At the time, neither of us realized where that prayer would take us. Three years later, a fellow pastor came to Sam making accusations against me. Sam simply asked, “Have you talked to Bob?” There was hesitation, “Well, no.” My newfound brother in Christ replied, “I have nothing to say until you talk to Bob and get your answer from him.” As a result, we experienced a modern day answer to Christ’s prayer of reconciliation, that they may all be one... that the world may believe that Thou didst send me. (John 17:21)

Another time, our congregation cried out to the Lord on behalf of a broken and needy inner-city church. Their pastor had shot and killed his wife, then turned the gun on himself, taking his own life. We read the tragic story in our local newspaper. The following Sunday I led our body in prayer, asking the Lord’s healing upon this grieving people. We also prayed for them to find a new pastor. After prayer, our people wrote personal prayer messages (Prayer-A-Grams) to our brothers and sisters in that congregation, in the spirit of the Apostle Paul’s word: Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

Months later at an area pastors’ gathering, a huge black man introduced himself to me as Pastor Mike Nickelson. When he heard my name and the church I pastored, he lifted me off my feet in a bear hug. “Pastor Bob, you are the church that prayed me into Ft. Wayne!” Mike and I began meeting to pray and seek the Lord together. Soon, he invited me to preach at Mt. Calvary Baptist. The same morning, I invited him to preach at Broadway Christian. That was the beginning of a long-standing relationship of trust and love. He now refers to me as “Dad”.

When we pray, and act upon those prayers, we can expect results. Our Lord cares deeply for the broken, the grieving, and the forsaken who live not far from us. We have been divided by decades of color prejudice, separate neighborhoods, misunderstanding and fear. Not until I met and got to know two men of color, and prayed with them, did my vision and heart change. When love conquers pride and prejudice in answer to our Lord’s prayer, the unchurched will see something that will draw them to Christ and his Body on earth. Prayer changes things, especially the hearts of those who do the praying!

“May it be the real I who speaks; may it be the real Thou that I speak to.”
- C. S. Lewis

The Jesus Prayer: Jesus, may all that is in you flow into me. May your body and blood be my food and drink. May your passion and death be my strength and life. Jesus, with you by my side enough has been given. May the shelter I seek be the shadow of your cross. Let me not run from the love which you offer. But hold me safe from the forces of evil. On each of my dyings shed your light and your love. Keep calling to me until that day comes when, with your saints, I may praise you forever. Amen


Thank You, Lord, for Your precious presence, and
for that faithful cloud of witnesses gone before,
in whose footsteps I follow in this day of work: For those first apostles and prophets,
For evangelists and pastor-teachers, For selfless saints and suffering martyrs, For all the holy and humble of heart, and
For Your unseen helping Hosts ministering to all who are inheritors of salvation.
I rejoice in Your great Name that
links heaven and earth in one great family. I praise You for the privilege to be called,
in company with them, to be part of Christ’s Church.
May the awareness of this sacred fellowship go with me wherever I am,
Preserving my identity in the crowd, Providing solidarity when in solitary places, Protecting me in trials and tests, and
Producing in me the fruit of love and good works.
- TEM


How may an awareness of those who have come before us in the Body of Christ strengthen the fulfillment of our role in this time and place?


Pray for…Youth (children, babies to college)/ Youth workers…

…Believers in Yemen and the former
Yugoslavia