Many churches today don't use the old hymn books of yesteryear and it appears that great Christian heritage is going by the wayside. Now I do love the uplifting praise music we hear in today's churches including my own church, but there in the pews in our hymnals are truly some of the greatest pieces of music ever written.

There are even books written about the lives of the composers of these hymns and stories of their great anointed lives. There are many hymns that I will cherish `til I die, but one in particular that I will always love is “Standing In The Need Of Prayer.” It says “it's me, it's me, it's me, O Lord standing in the need of prayer, its me, it's me, it's me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer.”

On Wednesday night in our little church, we have a devotion, then have open prayer requests that my wife, Dee, writes down and then we go to the altar, and get on our knees and pray. I will put on a beautiful hymn or some praise music over the PA set and we will just commune with God. These are very special moments kneeling in prayer before almighty God. If it is not in your tradition to kneel when you pray, I encourage you to try it, for it is very special.

During the prayer request time, it is our youth who will come up with the most “straight from the heart requests” you've ever heard. They will be like “Lord, please make this week in school go by fast” (I feel that the dogged- out teachers are probably praying the same prayers in their churches). They will ask God to help them pass a certain subject for which they are having difficulty. They will ask for God to make well a family member or a friend who is sick. You will hear them ask for safety in taking a trip or for a friend whom they feel does not know Jesus as their savior.

I know a lot has been written about our youth culture and how they are all “going to the dogs,” but I would love for these doomsday people to come to our churches and see how wonderful these youth really are. I became a Christian at eleven years old, but I can't remember having the depth and the spiritual understanding that our youth have today.

Remember we are all “standing in the need of prayer.” Pray for our soldiers in Kosovo. Pray for our teachers over the summer. Pray for awareness of God's reality in this technology age.

Dr. Knox Herndon is the Pastor of His House Community Church (SBC), a substitute school teacher in the Fayette County school system and a retired Army Chaplain. The church is located at 193 Johnson Ave Fayetteville, Ga. Right behind the Mask Tire Co. off Jeff Davis Dr. Fayetteville. (770)-719-2365 E-Mail Khern2365@aol.com

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