Prayer Fail at Augusta National
Prayer Fail at Augusta National
Dr. J. Mike Minnix, Editor, www.pastorlife.com
Hebrews 4:126, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” [Emphasis mine] NKJV
In 2004 I was privileged to do what every golfer dreams of but few actually achieve. I played a round of golf at the Augusta National Golf Club, home of The Master's Golf Tournament. This occurred because Tom Abernathy, a member of First Baptist Church Lilburn in metro-Atlanta, where I pastored for twelve years, called in a favor from a person with whom he had done business for years. Tom did that as a gift to me and it is something I treasure. His friend is a member at the course and through Tom’s contact he invited me to play.
I pulled down Magnolia Lane eight days before the Master's Tournament was to be played in 2004 with my heart racing, parked my car and after visiting the driving range and practice putting green, was soon standing amidst our foursome on the first tee. Two or three foursomes were waiting for us to tee off, and each foursome had four caddies in their traditional white jump suits observing the entire thing. With all the players and all the caddies watching, it seemed like we had an audience.
After the member who invited me to play hit his drive, I stood over my golf ball more nervous than I can explain. So, I offered up a quick but sincere prayer saying, "Please, Lord, help me hit this drive correctly!" I struck the ball cleanly and it landed in the center of the first fairway with good distance. The Augusta National member said, "Good drive, Mike." I finally took a deep breath; however, my prayer had not big enough! Let me explain.
I ended up shooting a score in the nineties, which you non-golfers need know is about twenty strokes too many. Even going around Amen Corner at one over par, with a birdie on hole 14, I still failed to play as well I should have or could have. One problem I identified in my day of golf was that my beginning prayer was too narrow. During the round of golf I asked myself several times, "Why did I pray for only one good shot when I began?" You see, I could have just as well asked to hit good shots all day – I could have prayed boldly! It was prayer fail at Augusta National. Of course I share this tongue-in-cheek, but it does remind us of an important lesson.
Praying small prayers reveals small faith, especially when we are dealing with issues far more important than golf. The Bible states in James 5:16 that prayer can be powerful and effective. Ephesians 6:18 states that believers are to pray about all things on all occasions. Read 1 John 6:14, 15 and note that when we pray believing God hears us and answers us. Hebrews 4:16, our theme verse, counsels us to come to God's throne with boldness when we pray.
It has been said that bold prayers honor God and God honors bold prayers. We are never to pray for strength equal to our abilities but to pray for strength equal to God's will in our lives. The point of this brief devotion is to remind us that we are to offer prayers that reveal our faith in the greatness of God.
I'll never forget walking across Hogan's Bridge or putting on the green's where the greatest golfers in history have played. My visit to the locker room, where the names of golf's greatest players are found, and eating a meal in the clubhouse at Augusta National is forever fixed in my mind as a sweet memory. But my prayer on the first hole at Augusta National has served as a humorous reminder that I must always pray bold prayers - prayers as big and great as the Lord who died in our place to save us and rose from the grave to justify us - prayers that reveal a faith big enough to honor the greatness of God!
Always remember, our prayers are not to tell God how big our problems are but are to inform our problems about how big our God is! If we practice boldness in prayer, we can live boldly for the Lord.