A Praying Man: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On a warm, cloudy Wednesday on August 28, 1963, Dr. King ascended the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. to deliver his seventeen minute “I Have A Dream” speech to over two hundred thousand people that had gathered for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. A man of God, an ordained Baptist Minister, a visionary, a family man, and of most importance; a praying man. Dr. King knew the importance of having a personal relationship, not just a casual acquaintance, with the Lord Jesus Christ. A man that understood that hate and discrimination could not be overcome by carnal, (physical), weaponry. “We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.” (I Have A Dream). The Apostle Paul put it this way: “The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way – never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 The Message). Both men were praying men. Both lived and preached in a godless society, risking their lives to proclaim the message of the Gospel; not just in words but in deeds. Both men realized their strength came from prayer. What a lesson for us! We learn from the persistence, patience, and perseverance of these men of God the source of their strength; a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. Both of whom today are there with Him! Prayer is more than just a formal form of religious ritual. Prayer is as Briscoe Darlin once said to Aunt Bee; “It’s your heart talkin’ to my heart.” Prayer is the heart and will of God revealed to His children. The Father to child talk that encourages, corrects, motivates, and assures us of our faith. The faith we have in Him. You may never give a culture changing speech to hundreds of thousands. You may never find yourself in a riot defending the resurrection of Jesus. But you fight the same spiritual battles as those who do. Paul also said; “For in Him we live and move and have our very being.” (Acts 17:28 NKJV). Without prayer, constant communication with the Father, we are left to our own decisions and devices. Prayer is to the soul what oxygen is to our bodies.