Gas Prices, Faith Increase

There are interesting things happening in light of escalating gas prices. These men from the Bay Area are praying for lower prices.

A few weeks ago a Baptist Church group from the Hewitt area spent more than $2,000 to lower gas prices at a single station for a couple of hours. The group took 50 cents off each gallon of gas for paying customers. One of the benefactors from this act was Sandy Hodson, our former bishop's wife. She was interviewed by a local news station as she waited in line to get gas.

These are nice gestures, but how much do they really help longterm? I am confident -- no, I know -- that God hears and answers prayers but is this praying at a gas pump going to make a difference in our lives?

The story would have been better if the Bay Area men had prayed at the Hewitt gas pumps a week before the local group lowered prices for a short period.

I would feel a lot more comfortable if stakeholders in the energy industry were praying for solutions. Our prayers are most effective when we pray for certain outcomes and then work hard to bring about those outcomes. I wonder, what is the plan of the men praying at the gas pump?

It has been my experience that the most effective prayers are offered in a private, quiet place and not in front of cameras. Still, I appreciate the gesture of these men. I'm confident their hearts are in the right place.

One benefit of higher gas prices will probably be that people will begin to offer more effectual prayers and that's not a bad thing.