by Geoffrey Schmitt

Created on: November 15, 2009   Last Updated: November 16, 2009

The Rev. Sam Shoemaker, spiritual father of AA and the 12 Steps was known to challenge seekers to a 30 day prayer experiment. It was really quite simple. For 30 days pray and converse with God as if you really believe he exists, is listening, and will respond. He also asked that a journal be kept of these experiences as a way to track the experiment and reflect upon it. The idea didn't stop with him. A brief Google search of 30 day prayer experiment, shows tons of links including a book published by The Navigators entitled, Surprise Me: A thirty day prayer experiment. The idea has been somewhat ridiculed as fake it until you make it. However, I would ask you to give it a sincere try before settling for ridicule.

What most people don't understand is that faith is a gift. It's not something we find. It's not something we pump up like a balloon or even build like muscles. When Jesus says all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed, the point is we have faith or we don't. It's like the great scene in the second Star Wars movie. Luke is stuck on a swamp of a planet and his jet fighter is drowned in the muck. He is challenged by Yoda to use The Force to raise it up. In response Luke says, I'll try. Yoda's response echoes like great wisdom across the galaxies. Do or do not. Following Luke's failure and proclamation that it can not be done, Yoda shows that it can. He does it himself.

Jim was a solid church going man. Most of his friends in the church, including his wife had a real, personal experience with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. However, Jim did not. He believed. He worshiped. He served faithfully. Yet, he was missing something and he knew it. He grew tired of not having what he witnessed in others. One year he made a resolution. It was his own prayer experiment. Actually, it was more like a challenge to God. On his way to work each day he prayed something like this, God, what am I, chopped liver, that you don't come to me like you do to others?

One morning as he said this prayer he felt his hands forced from the steering wheel. This got an old truck driver's attention. Lord, he said, I feel like I have been sold a bill of goods. The Lord responded to him, Yes Jim, against believing. After what seemed to Jim a long time he was able to take the steering wheel again. As he arrived at the truck yard the semi ahead had Jesus saves written on the back in the midst of accumulated dirt. Alright Lord, Jim said, I believe.

If you are looking for faith; if you are trying to build it up; relax and take the thirty day prayer experiment. You will be surprised when God finds you.

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