INTRODUCTION:

There was a newspaper photographer who was called in by his editor and told the was a fire was raging out of control south of the city. The editor told him to there was a plane waiting at the nearby airport and get some pictures for the evening edition. The reporter raced off to his assignment and found the plane just as his boss had described.

He jumped into the plane and yelled, "Let's go." When they approached the raging fire the reporter pulled out his camera and told the guy behind the controls to swoop down near the flames so he could get some good pictures. The man looked surprised and asked, "Why?"

Rather perturbed by the inquiry the reporter snapped back, "Because I'm a newspaper photographer and photographers take pictures."

There was dead silence for a few moments in the cockpit. And then the pilot stuttered, "You-u-u mean you're not the flight instructor?" (1)

Louis can probably tell you that it pays to know whose in the cockpit doesn't it? It pays to know the pilot. And maybe even more importantly, it pays to communicate with the pilot.

We live in a world of multiple nearly instant communication. Cell phones, satellite dishes, television, the internet, radio, all of those things allow us to communicate around the world in seconds.

We even get stressed out when all this technology craters on us. Our cell phone battery dies; the internet goes down and the cable goes off the air and we think we're cut off from the world. We think we're lost in the wilderness. We might as well be living back in the stone ages or some backwoods third world village stuck away in the mountains.

Communication has become absolutely vital for us. Communication was absolutely vital for Jesus and His ministry. He was the Word of God made flesh. And He spoke the Word of God for the people of God. But in order to do that He had to take time to communicate with God on a regular basis.

In today's passage of Scripture we see Jesus doing just that. Let's look at the passage from Mark:

Mark 1:29-39

[29] As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.

[30] Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once.

[31] He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

[32] That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons.

[33] And the whole city was gathered around the door.

[34] And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

[35] In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.

[36] And Simon and his companions hunted for him.

[37] When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you."

[38] He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do."

[39] And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. [NRSV]

In the midst of the busy-ness of his ministry and because of that busy-ness, Jesus went out to a deserted place, a place of solitude, a place to be alone, and He prayed. He spent time with God. He spent time rejuvenating His Spirit. He spent time reconnecting and communicating with the ultimate source of power in His life and ministry, God.

Is this what your prayer life looks like? For many of us, the deserted place describes our personal prayer life; not where we go to pray.

For Jesus, the Deserted Place was simply a place of Solitude. A place where there were no distractions. A place where He could wrestle with God and wrestle with Himself about the decisions He needed to make concerning His life and ministry.

And making those decisions was an ongoing struggle. Just like making the decision to follow Christ and live like Christ is an ongoing struggle and decision. The word used here for "Deserted Place" is the same word used when the Holy Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to wrestle with the temptations.

Jesus chose a place of Solitude to communicate with God. And that's what we're called to do, too. We're called to find a deserted place and spend time in prayer. We're called to find that place of solitude and communicate with God. And with everything going on the world right now, there's no better time to spend time talking with God.

Prayer is AN ANTIDOTE FOR FEVER, FUEL FOR THE FAITH, AND A SPICE FOR LIFE.

I. AN ANTIDOTE FOR FEVER:

A. PRAYER IS AN ANTIDOTE FOR FEVER

As we look at the passage, we see that Jesus went home with Andrew and Peter. But when they got there, Peter's mother-in-law had a fever. So Jesus healed her of the fever. But the minute the crowds discovered where Jesus was, they came to Him seeking their own healing.

And once again Jesus was caught up in the fevered pitch of ministry. The fevered pitch of caring for others. Just like Jesus was the answer for the fever in the life of Peter's mother-in-law and the crowds of sick and needy. Jesus' presence is the antidote for the fever of our lives.

Don't you remember George Jetson and his three hour job? He'd come home worn out at the end of the day talking about how many times he had to push the button. We're supposed to be living that kind of life.

All of our communications devices and computers are supposed to help us slow down and take life easier. But they don't. We live in a world that runs at a fevered pitch. We meet ourselves coming and going. Sometimes the phone rings so much you just want to yank it out of the wall so you can get some work done.

On those days the stress level goes up and so does the temperature. You get stuck in traffic or have to wait 20 minutes in line to pick up a gallon of milk and the temperature rises. The fever gets higher. We live in a world that runs at a fevered pitch.

And what do you do for a fever? You take something for it. You take aspirin.

Prayer is the antidote for the fevered pitch of this world. Prayer is the aspirin for the fever of this world. When you've let your stress and anxiety skyrocket to new heights, prayer brings you back down to earth.

But prayer also lifts you toward heaven. Prayer reminds us that we're not in control. Through prayer we acknowledge that ultimately God is in control. And it reminds us of the tackle that you and are supposed to be fishing with at all times. Remember? Paul says: in Galatians 5:22-23: "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." [NRSV] Prayer reminds us to use these fruits.

B. SERENITY PRAYER

In 1932 Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr wrote what we know today as the Serenity Prayer for Alcoholics Anonymous. It's a prayer that always works like divine aspirin. Maybe we all ought to have it tattooed on our hands so when we feel the fever coming on we can immediately begin praying it. You know part of it, but have you ever heard it all?

"GOD, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can and the Wisdom to know the difference. Living ONE DAY AT A TIME; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace. Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it. Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen" (2)

PRAYER IS AN ANTIDOTE FOR FEVER

II. FUEL FOR THE FAITH:

A. PRAYER IS ALSO FUEL FOR THE FAITH.

Have you ever put off stopping for gas? You got up too late. Or you got started late and you just didn't have time to stop? We all have. It works OK for little while, doesn't it. You might even get by with it for a couple of days.

But once you start running on empty, if you don't stop, pretty soon you find yourself stranded. It's no fun running out of gas. I can tell you from first hand experience. And you'll do everything you can think of so it won't happen again.

You can also run out of gas in your spiritual life. If you've neglected you spiritual life. If your deserted place looks like a shack. If you spend more time combing your hair, brushing your teeth and getting ready for work than you do in your devotional life, in your time studying God's Word or in prayer then you're probably running on empty.

If you're running on empty in your prayer life, you could find yourself stranded one of these days. And being stranded spiritually is absolutely no fun.

One of the best prayers I have ever found for keeping yourself afloat and your fuel tanks full is John Wesley's Covenant Prayer. I use it all the time.

B. John Wesley's Covenant Prayer:

"I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low by thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen."

PRAYER IS THE PERFECT FUEL FOR THE FAITH.

III. AND A SPICE FOR LIFE:

A. FINALLY PRAYER IS A SPICE FOR LIFE.

Do you know what the number one condiment in America is? It used to be ketchup. Now it's Salsa, Picante Sauce and Hot Sauce. Years ago, about the only spice you had to bring out the flavor of food was salt. That's why Jesus called Christians the "Salt of the Earth." I wonder if today He'd call us the Hot Sauce of the world.

I like spicy stuff like Wasabi and Horseradish and hot mustard. I like Hot Sauce, too. There's about a hundred different brands of Hot Sauce out there. I love some of the names. I actually found pictures of the bottles so you would believe me.

There are hot sauces named: Acid Rain, Armadillo's Revenge, Kiss of Fire and Deathwish.

Then there's Lawyer's Breath, Mad Dog Liquid Fire, Tejas Tears and Scorned Woman.

My favorite name, though, is Liquid Stoopid. It claims to be so hot it will melt your brain. "One drop will stoopify you."

Most of us are probably more familiar with: Tabasco, Tiger Sauce, Louisiana Hot Sauce or my personal favorite Cholula.

Prayer is the Cholula of life. It is the spice that lets us be the Hot Sauce in the world. Our Prayer life is what gives a normal life that extra spice.

B. Hand Prayer:

A simple way to add spice to your life is through the Hand Prayer. It's very simple. All you have to do is fold your hands and look at each one of your fingers. The fingers of your folded hands symbolize someone in your life. When you look at that particular finger, remember them and pray for them. AS you do, you will be spicing up your own spiritual life and theirs.

THUMB: Look at your Thumb. It's the nearest finger to you and it symbolizes those who are the closest to you. Your nearest and dearest. In this prayer, you simply take a minute to think about those you love the most.

INDEX FINGER: Next, look at your Index Finger. This is the one you point with. This finger symbolizes those who try to point the way for others. Pastors, Teachers, Missionaries, Professors. Whenever you look at your index finger, remember those who work at pointing the way.

MIDDLE FINGER: Next is your Middle Finger. This is the tallest, this is the longest finger. It is used to remember Leaders in every sphere of life. This includes all of our elected, government and church officials. When you use the Hand Prayer, remember those in leadership.

RING FINGER: Now we come to the Ring Finger. As every pianist knows, this is the weakest finger of all. This finger symbolizes those in trouble, those in pain, those in need of any kind. It symbolizes the weak and forgotten in our world. Pray for them when you look at your Ring Finger.

LITTLE FINGER: That leaves the Little Finger. The smallest and least important of them all. This finger represents us. Whenever we look at it, pray for yourself.

That's all there is to it. Just use your fingers to remind you of who and what to pray for.

REMEMBER PRAYER IS A SPICE FOR LIFE.

CONCLUSION:

Max Lucado in his book Just Like Jesus, tells of an interview by Dan Rather with Mother Teresa. Dan Rather asked Mother Teresa what she said when she spoke to God in prayer. Mother Teresa told him that she listened. Rather was a bit surprised by her answer and then asked, "Well, then, what does God say?" (3)

Mother Teresa smiled and answered gently, "He listens."

Sometimes the simple awareness of God is found best in the stillness and quietness of a listening heart. That's what Jesus had. That's where His strength and wisdom and courage came from. [35] "In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed."

Lose yourself in the deserted place of your life. The folks like Peter in this world, the ones who have to have your attention, who need to be healed, who need your guidance, who need your help, will find you. Just like they found Jesus. But be wise like Jesus, take time to listen to God. And to be listened to.

Remember: Prayer is AN ANTIDOTE FOR FEVER, FUEL FOR THE FAITH, AND A SPICE FOR LIFE.

Find your own deserted place and pray.

1. King's Treasury of Dynamic Humor, King Duncan, 1990, pgs. 19-20

2. http://open-mind.org/Serenity.htm

3. The Pastor's Story File (Saratoga Press, P.O. Box 8, Platteville, CO, 80651; 970-785-2990), July 1999

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