Make Me an Instrument
The Prayer of Saint Francis
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
The Prayer of Saint Francis expresses three purposes. 1) Throughout the prayer, we can find the expression of a sincere concern for others who struggle with the many types of brokenness in this imperfect world. 2) There is an expression of a personal desire. The prayer might focus on the one who speaks it – make me/let me sow – as much as on those we encounter with personal needs. When we speak this prayer, we are asking for God to make us able to care for sake of others who may need care, who may need peace. And 3) There is the purpose of God’s vision for all of creation. The heart of this prayer is not in the asking God for something we think we need, but in asking for the presence of God in all need. We are asking for God to be present in us and through us, the way the musician is present in the instrument as it produces its sound. We are asking God to take us in His hands as an instrument for His use, His purposes.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
A plane has an instrument panel. In the Christian faith, peace does as well. To be just one indicator of peace can be as important as knowing the plane you’re in is sound and flightworthy. Pilots continually check the indicators on their instrument panels to stay on course and ensure a secure and comfortable flight. They depend on the readings of each of the instruments, and the passengers depend on the pilot. In Make Me an Instrument, author Tom Kingery explains how the church is your plane, taking you through the skies with Jesus as the pilot and the pastor as a flight attendant. You’re not in it just for the ride. You’re an instrument of peace. You help make the ride better, smoother, and more comfortable. He tells how the first petition of the Prayer of Saint Francis is to be an instrument of God’s Peace. Saint Francis of Assisi believed, back in the thirteenth century, that Christians should pray to be instruments of God’s peace. As instruments of peace, you can share your hope with others. You can’t give faith to anyone else, only God can do that. It’s up to them to receive it. Like mechanical instruments, you can’t make them operate, but you can plug them into a source of power.
About the Author
Tom Kingery is a retired United Methodist Pastor and continues to be inspired to write. A widower, Kingery spends time daily in the Bible, reading, and praying. He has two adult children and two grandchildren.