Ray Hardin was a friend to preachers—and he was one of my close friends during my time as a young minister of a large church in Dallas many years ago. Ray attended our church and as a former preacher he had the gift of writing prayers that he would deliver in a rich baritone voice with outstanding diction. He could have recorded an album and I would have bought and listened to it over and over again.
Ray’s ministry was the composition and delivery of public prayers on behalf of the church. He eventually published two books of prayers before his passing due to lung cancer. I ran across this one, which I don’t believe was ever published. He sent it to me after I had moved to San Diego. The next morning, I happened to be preaching on worship. The sermon series was entitled, “Face down.” I offer this prayer to you and take it to heart afresh myself. We aren’t as self-sufficient as we think we are. God be praised for His generosity toward us!
Feed Us
How hungry we get after
leaving home, Lord. Oh, it’s
tolerable for a while
because we have our minds
made up and our jaw
set. We tell ourselves there’s
nothing at all to fear—we
simply need to stay
focused on the goal,
work hard, look good and keep our
wits about us.
The props we drag along to make us
feel good about ourselves—oh!
how important that is—
too soon turn into dead
weights we would leave beside
the path if we had any
real courage. But our courage
fades as our hunger
grows. So we quicken our pace to
put some distance between
ourselves and you, thinking
that any day we will
arrive at whatever place it is we
imagine can our fill
our needs. No offense, Lord, but
sometimes we feel we
really need to make it on our
own, provide for ourselves
and be grown up at last.
But the hunger deepens
and seeps into all our
empty places like sand.
Weighing us down and sapping
our strength.
Until the journey is no fun any more.
The bright destination
becomes only a mirage.
Our path becomes too
steep with the weight of
all the heavy help we’ve
thought to depend on. Until
finally we can’t go
on any further. That’s when we lay
it all down and cry
to you, O Lord. Save us. Feed us.