A United Methodist Pastor's Theological Reflections

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory (nikos) through our Lord Jesus Christ." - I Corinthians 15:57


Monday, October 4, 2010

A Hunter's Prayer

Today, my church begins a month long congregation wide devotional reading and half of this week's readings are related to the importance of prayer.

Recently, I came across this prayer, specifically written for hunters. When I was a teenager, my dad taught me to hunt small game as well as deer so when I saw this prayer, it reminded me of my dad.

Hunter's Prayer by The Rev. Eldon Reich

O God, thank you for your creation,
for the land that sustains us,
the game that feeds us,
and the hunt that blesses us.

Grant us wisdom to be safe.
Grant us the patience for a clean shot,
so that we might be good stewards of every life you give.
Amen.


This prayer also reminded me of an experience I had when I was a senior in High School. I was invited to a friend's home for dinner. It was just before deer hunting season and being the big time hunters they were, here's what the father's prayer was before we ate dinner:

"Father, thank you for this food. And help me this Monday, to kill a deer. Amen."

This is what I call praying specifically.
.
Sometimes, our prayers could stand being a little more well rounded, but the important thing is to pray about all aspects of our lives.
.
Including success on the first day of deer season!

P.S. As I'm finishing typing this article, I can't help but notice a man praying over his quarter pounder and fries. Nice!
.

No comments: