GrandMamma's Prayers Book Preview

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GrandMammas Prayers

by James Langston

the effectual and fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much

Celebrating 14 Years

p until a few days ago, I was not aware that GrandMammas Prayers was entering its

fourteenth year of publication.UI still find it so hard to fathom that fourteen years ago, I submitted my first ever book for

publication. And now in a few months, work will commence on my twelfth! My my how time

flies when you really enoy what you are doing.

henever I hear someone tell how a praying grandmother changed their life, it always

thrills me. "heir testimonies reinforce a proven truth# prayer changes things#

I would not be here had she not prayed for me, he prayed me out of some rough

situations, !er prayers are the reason for my success, I leaned and depended on my

Grandmas prayers more than you will ever "now#

I too echo their praise reports$ for had not my %randMamma faithfully and unceasingly

prayed for me, my life would have been &uite different than it is today$ and not for the better I

might add.

'arely five feet tall, %randMamma was a force of a woman. "he sparkle in her eyes not

dulled by age, but the constant physical battles daily robbed her of the vigor and vitality she

always held so dear. "he (),*++ days she lived on this earth are one heck of a milestone a

smile would come to her face and a twinkle in her eyes each time you reminded her, -++ ell,

the /awd has been real good to me!0

"his is a woman born when %rover 1leveland was 2resident. 'orn in -34*the same year

as 5attie Mc6aniel the same year Frederick Douglass died.

7he lived through the 7panish8American ar. orld ar I and orld ar II. "he %reat

6epression. "he 9orean ar. :ietnam. "he Invasion of 2anama. "he %ulf ar.

;ou and I have read about the first instein, the discovery of 9ing

"ut?s tomb, the 7panish 1ivil ar, the 5indenburg, 7teamboat illie hitting the big screen, 2earl

5arbor and 686ay8 but she was alive for all of it.


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Introduction

or years, a persistent tug0 had been on my heart to write the story that you are about toread. ;et, for reasons unknown, I kept sidestepping the task.After all, who would read what I wrote I have no &ualifications, and the longest paper that

I?ve ever wrote was less than ten pages$ so why me

"hankfully, the 5oly 7pirit kept reminding me to do this$ so this is the story birthed out of5is gentle reminders.

My %randMamma, a wonderful lady of faith, inspired each of the pages of this book. In her

character were &ualities shared by grandmothers throughout the ages$ a dee lo!e and anundying commitment to truth.

hat I remember most about %randMamma was her faith. It seemed no matter the situationor the circumstances$ she always believed that %od would make a way. 5er unspoken motto, If

!e did it for one, !e will do it for all,is forever etched in my soul.

ho was %randMamma 7he was a teacher, a preacher, my 'ible 1ollege and my seminary#

she was the one who meticulously set aside time each day to instruct me in things like, Myresponsibilities as a father and a husband,0 "aking care of Mama0 and "he importance of

developing a life8long relationship with the /ord.0 ithout her instructive moments, I would

have been ill prepared for these types of decisions later in life.

%randMamma?s 2rayers is a story of faith, a story of hope and a story of perseverance.

1hapters -, B, ( and C reinforce a single truth$ 1hristianity is more than a 7unday to 7unday

e@perience D it is a life, a relationship and a way of living unlike anything known to man.

1hapters *, ) and E challenge readers to be more than 1hurch goers,0 but a witness and ane@ample of 1hristian life# we are to reflect thefruits of this new life in our work, our family and

everything we do.

In 1hapters 3, 4 and -+ we are brought face8to8face with the sometimes harsh, sometimes

unfair, but always challenging disciplines of life and our responsibility to carry out the %reat1ommission, # # # go ye into all the world and preach $proclaim% the Gospel # # #

An old spiritual says,


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&hen I thin" of the goodness of 'esus,

(nd all !es done for me, My soul cries out hallelu)ah,

Praise God for saving me* +

As I look back to those bygone years, I now have a better appreciation as to how the /ordused my simple e@periences to sowseedsof direction, faith and truth into my life.

"he 5oly 7pirit through the prophet Isaiah would say, or my thoughts are not your

thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the -ord# . In spite of our stumbling, bumbling,and failing, it is reassuring to know that the /ord has everything under control.


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Chater 1

"ow it all #egan

orgetfulness Fn# tendency to forgetG# we often shrug it off as incidental, or that?s life, but the

truth is, the older we get, the more we struggle to remember events, people, seasons, dates

and times. ;et, when we do have our moments of clarity, they announce their arrival with such

preciseness that it?s eerily refreshing.

"hings like, amily and friends phone numbers,0 Anniversaries,0 hy you came into the

room,0 or "he names and birthdays of our children and grandchildren,0 become more than

distant memories, but real and e@citing events in your life.

aking up at %randMamma?s was one of those unforgettable moments. It was unlike

anything you could imagine.

At the end of each school year, mama drove us to %randMamma?s house to spend our

summer vacation. 7he said it was good for us. I thought otherwise, but e@perience taught me

not to say anything.

As we settled into our homeaway from home, the first order of business was finding a

comfortable place to sleep at night. 7ince %randMamma?s house had only four rooms$ a kitchen,

a living room, and two bedrooms, we were a little creative in our searches. :isitors were a rarity

in the morning, so there was never a concern that someone would find us sprawled out all over

the floor.

'y default, the boys always slept on pallets on the floor$ while our sisters enoyed the

comfort of a featherbed mattress.

If a featherbed is a mystery to you, you really missed something special. /ong before 7ealy8

2osturepedic or any of the other brands, the featherbed was the mattress of choice.

"he secret of the mattress as the name implied, lied in the thousands of feathers stuffed

inside. "his not only made it soft, but e@tremely comfortable. As an aside, I never got a crook in

my neck, a sore back or stiff oints from sleeping on one.

As I was a light sleeper, I usually awoke the moment %randMamma started breakfast on

7aturday mornings. I however did not immediately get out of bed$ I would lay there savoring the

aroma from the kitchen.


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I knew if I timed things right, I could arrive at the breakfast table the e@act moment she

finished cooking. "he taste of those fresh0 biscuits, made the e@tra wait well worth it.

"o say %randMamma was an e@ceptional cook would be an understatement. Many of her

recipes were handed down from generations of great cooks, some as far back as "imbuktu Ha city

in central Mali near the


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Chater $

%cceting the Call

and Li!ing the &aith

ithout a doubt, the call to preach is a calling to the highest office in the land. 5ands

down, there is no earthly office that carries with it the solemnity, influence, and

responsibility entrusted to that of a true, %od8called preacher.

/uke, the great physician, would write, # # # for unto whomsoever much is given, of him

shall be much re/uired0 and to whom men have committed much, of him they will as" the more#

-

;ears ago, my pastor made a powerful statement during one of his sermons$ a statement that

even these many years later still rings in my ears# It would be a step down for a preacher of the

%ospel to abrogate his %od called office for any earthly office, including 2resident of the United

7tates!0

"he moment I heard this, it made me reali=e even more the awesomeness of the duties and

responsibilities that had been entrusted to me# I had been given a mandate to serve ustly,

faithfully and truthfully before %od and men.

/et me add that if %od has not truly called you to this office or if your motif operandi is

prestige, fame, or riches, I ask, no I plead with you, 2lease choose another path.0

7adly, the 1hurch also has is share of charlatans, crooks, and thieves, ravening wolves in

sheeps clothing Bas the 'ible calls them, and needs no more. 5owever, if the ather has called

you, let me be the first to e@tend a hand of welcome.

"he call to preach is not only one of distinction but also uni&ueness. "he 'ible says, or

ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not

many noble, are called0 1ut God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound thewise2 and God hath chosen the wea" things of the world to confound the things which are

mighty2

(nd base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and

things which are not, to bring to nought things that are0 3hat no flesh should glory in his

presence# 1ut of him are ye in 4hrist 'esus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and


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righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption0 3hat, according as it is written, !e that

glorieth, let him glory in the -ord# (

'efore I continue, I need to address another misconception. It is neither 'iblically or

scripturally wrong if the /ord?s children prosper. In fact, the 'ible tells us, # # # I wish above

all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth#C

5owever, if your ambition is riches, or to further your selfish and egotistical motives, then

this is wrong. * Also, please do not categori=e all preachers or1hristians as phony0 because you

had a bad e@perience with one or two.

"he truth is, not everyone who names the name of 1hrist is saved and even sadder many

that are saved have yet to make Kesus both /ord and 7avior of their life.


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Chater '

(a)e Care o* Your Mama

In this chapter, I want to introduce another very special lady in my life, my mama.

In previous chapters I have shared with you the godly traits that %randMamma sowed in my

life$ however, it was mama who first planted those seeds in me. 5ad she not, neither this book

nor any of its testimonies would have been possible.

ithout a doubt %randMamma touched my life as few have. I count it an honor and a

privilege to have at least a modicum of her ways engrained in me.

5owever, the real catalyst behind our praying,0 our going to church,0 and then living

those godly principles we learned was mama. 5ad she not inected herself in our lives, and to

that that degree, %randMamma?s efforts would have generated little, if any interest.

As the seasons of time passed us by, %randMamma would subtly and sometimes not so

subtly remind us of our primary responsibility#


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hile reading, I found my mind drifting back to those early days and mama. It read,

A little boy grabbed the family 'ible off the shelf and then sat down to read it. As he turned

each page, he sat captivated as the pictures and accompanying stories flashed before his eyes.

hen something fell from between the pages, he reached down to pick it up, but then

reali=ed it was an old leaf. Mama,0 he cried, /ook what I found.0

hat, dear,0 replied his mother I think I found Adam?s suit!0-

I believe this story illuminates one of the many hats0 a mother often wears$ in this instance

being a good listener. ;et, mothers are also disciplinarians, philosophers, doctors, lawyers,

chauffeurs, teachers and that special friend all wrapped up in one.

Lver the years, 1ecilia and I sort of tag teamed0 our efforts to raise our si@ children. ;et,

mama single8handedly took care of all eight of us, and still managed to keep her sanity in the

process!

Mama was a true idealist$ her instructions though simple, were straight to the point# do the

ob right, do it to the best of your ability and do it in the least amount of time.

In matters of truth, I honestly believe she was endowed with a si6th sense$ a gift to sniff out

what was right and what was suspect. "his uncanny ability invariably s&uelched many of our

wayward notions and plans long before they were off the drawing board.

Lne particular event comes to mind that I will share. "he main characters were mamaHof courseJ, a few friends, Hfellows? as we preferredJ, me, and oddly a s&uirrel.

("+ PL%C+,'ay 1ity, "e@as D summer of -4)4 or E+.

I am always ama=ed when the /ord uses simple situations and circumstances in our life to

bring us to a place of yielding to 5is prodding 5ands. "he psalmist would write, Ma"e me to

go in thepath of thy commandments2 for therein do I delight#B

"he day started off rather ordinary with the fellows and I in the backyard target practicing

with our slingshots. "hen we heard a noise in the top of the trees that would completely change

our day.

Imagine our surprise once we identified the noise as that of a s&uirrel. e only oked at first

how cool0 it would be if the s&uirrel were our pet. "hen before long, we were finali=ing plans

to catch him.


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In hindsight, had we seriously considered the utter recklessness of this plan, we would have

canceled it. ;et, that would have meant that we were rational young men. 7olomon was right

when he wrote, oolishness is bound in the heart of a child# (

e divided our plan into two phases. In phase one a couple of the fellows would climb the

tree and position their selves within a few feet of the s&uirrel. In phase two they would shake the

branches, while everyone on the ground yelled and threw rocks.

As phase one commenced, we all watched an@iously. Lnce they were in position, we gave

the signal to start shaking the branches. Lnce they did, the s&uirrel as hoped umped from his

hiding place and bolted. hen he did, I hollered, "wotwotwo!0

Ln &ueue, everyone started yelling and throwing rocks at the s&uirrel. e wanted to

confuse him ust enough so he would mistime one of his umps, lose his balance and then fall.

Lnce he did, we would be waiting for him D or so we thought.

As the s&uirrel scurried along the branches, the fellows stayed in hot pursuit. herever he

went, they somehow managed to stay within a few feet of him. atching from the ground, I

marveled as our plan worked to perfection.

As I observed the scenes unfolding, it seemed the s&uirrel?s movements were becoming

erratic, almost to the point of desperation. I knew then that it was only a matter of time before he

made his first mistake, and when he did, we would be waiting!

A few minutes later, it happened. As the s&uirrel tried one lastsuicidalump, he misudged

the distance. hen he did, he slipped off the branches and fell toward us like a rocket.

Lh, the oy and e@citement we felt. ;et, the realfunwas only moments away.

"he s&uirrel landed a few feet from us with a thud. e &uickly surrounded him so he would

not escape. In retrospect had he ran toward any of us, we probably would have scattered with no

&uestions asked. Lddly though, he only ran in circles$ almost as if he was da=ed.

ith all the e@citement, I knew we only had seconds before the s&uirrel regained his senses

and scurried. 7o, being the enterprising young man that I was, I reached down and picked him

up by the tail.

;ou say, ;ou did what0 ;eah, I know it was foolish, but it was one of those infamous,

spur of the moment0 decisions, D the kind you later regret.

My logic was flawless# %rab the s&uirrel HPresumtion -1J, put him in the cage

HPresumtion -J, and then I would be the hero of the moment HPresumtion -/J.


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5owever, the instant I grabbed the s&uirrels? tail he reared back and bit my thumb. I

instinctively dropped him, with him running north and me south toward the house.

At that moment I felt my heart racing, my hands wet and clammy and my thoughts were all

hurried and umbled$ classic symptoms of mild shock. 5owever, in a few minutes I was about to

get a real shock.

/ittle did I know that as I was running toward the house, mama was &uietly making her way

out to the backyard. "he moment she stepped outside, sheer pandemonium met her eyes# the

fellows were all talking at -++mph, the s&uirrel was wildly bouncing around inside the cage

Hthough no one knew how he got thereJ, and no one seemed to have a clear inkling of what had

occurred or why.

"o bring a degree of sanity to this spectacle, Mama calmly spoke up, ;?all better leave that

s&uirrel alone before one of you get bit.0 "hen for reasons unknown, one of my most trusted

fellows piped up$ 'ubba Hmy nicknameJ already got bit.0

"hey told me when mama heard this, her left eyebrow started umping. >veryone knew that

this signaled deep0 trouble for me. hen mama asked my whereabouts, they told her I was in

the house trying to stop the bleeding.

I came out a few minutes later, completely oblivious to any of the previous dialogue. I did

however notice mama staring at me &uite intently, and that is putting it mildly.


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Chater 10

In Closing Let Me 2ay 3

ing %eorge :I said, I said to a man who stood at the gate of the year. %ive me a light

that I may tread safely into the unknown.? And he replied, %o into the darkness and put

your hand into the hand of %od. "hat shall be to you better than a light and safer than a known

way.0?

9

At times, the day8to8day pressures and demands of life can so overwhelm us that any efforts

of self8resistance only aggravate the situation. Nuestions like, hat else can we do,0 6id the

/ord hear my cry,0 and ill we make it,0 are only hundreds that find no answer for.

;et, and sadly so, even when we are faced with the greatest uncertainties that life can throw

our way, few will earnestly turn to the /ord, seek 5is ace and then trust 5im to deliver.

"he human race has an innate propensity0 to do something FreactG be it bad or good, and

then worry about the conse&uences. 7adly, the underlying cause for this defect is something that

few reali=e or even acknowledge for it is not a simple issue, but one that runs the length and

breath of our being, and even after salvation, due to failure on our part ruin and shame are seen

in its wake.

As long as events flow uninterrupted in our life, this flaw Hthe 7in natureJ remains

camouflaged and hidden. "his is one of the reasons the /ord allows troubles our way. "his

nudge forces us to refocus our aith and trust from self and back to the 1ross.

7olomon wrote, 3rust in the -ord with all thine heart2 and lean not unto thine own

understanding# In all thy ways ac"nowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths# -

1onversely if the aith that I have so loudly heralded throughout this book becomes an

enigma in my own trials, then I have lost sight of ho Kesus is and what 5is death on the 1ross

accomplished!

Lur %od is not only, (n ever Present !elp, ( riend, ( -amp unto our feet, (

-ight unto our path,but more importantly, the edeemer of mankind0 and the 7avior of the

orld.0

"he 2salmist proclaims, 1ut let all those that put their trust in thee re)oice0 let them ever

shout for )oy, because thou defendest them0 let them also that love thy name be )oyful in thee# B


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As the days pass, I find myself with a better understanding of ust how different this

1hristian life really is. lohim F%odG.

All too often, many who say they are followers of 1hrist do so in name only. "hey enoy the

benefits FblessingsG, but are careful to avoid anything that sticks out as religious0 or

intolerant.0

2raying before meals, being kind to strangers and attending church on 7undays are good

1hristian habits.0 5owever, all night prayer meetings, street witnessing, prison visitations, and

world evangelism are far too radical they say, and should be avoided at all cost.

olks, when the /ord said, # # # go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel # # # (this

was not a trite statement, it was our marching orders for all time!

"his means, our energies and efforts are either for 1hrist or for the world D we cannot do

both. C or only at the foot of the 1ross are our weaknesses and frailties stripped away and the

tremendous 7trength and %race of 1hrist manifested. "his is the %ospel message that we must

share with all D the world and also the 1hurch.


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%bout the %uthor

ames /angston faithfully served his country for BE years in the U.7. vangelism ellowship of 'aton ouge,

/ouisiana. 5e is a -4E) graduate of >l 1ampo high school in >l 1ampo, "e@as.

Kames oversees all day8to8day operations and the ministries eally 7imple 7yndication

H77J Internet feeds in the United 7tates, 1anada, and a myriad of international countries.

5e teaches in ministerial workshops, and gives primary leadership to the evangelistic,

administrative, global outreach and audio and visual departments of the ministry.

uty 2tations,

U77 6ubu&ue H/2683J

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