The Empty Chair

When I think about the essence of prayer, I think about a man I met from my community. He tells this encounter that marked him: There was an old man dying of cancer. The old man’s daughter asked this man from New Orleans to come and pray with her father. When he arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. There was an empty chair beside his bed.

“Would you mind closing the door?” Puzzled, he shut the door.

“I’ve never told anyone this, not even my daughter,” said the man, “but all my life I have never known how to pray… I abandoned any attempt at prayer,” he continued, “until one day about four years ago, my best friend said to me, ‘Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here’s what I suggest. Sit down on a chair, place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It’s not spooky, because He promised, “I’ll be with you always” (Matt. 28:20). Then just speak to Him and listen in the same way you’re doing with me right now.’

“So, I tried it, and I’ve liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I’m careful, though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she’d either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.”

He was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old guy to continue on his prayer journey. Two nights later, the daughter called to tell the man that her daddy had died that afternoon.

“Did he seem to die in peace?” he asked.

“Yes, when I left the house around 2:00, he called me over to his bedside, told me one of his corny jokes, and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange-in fact, beyond strange, kind of weird. Just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on a chair beside his bed.”

Talking to Jesus. Listening to Jesus. Putting your head in His lap. That is the stuff of relationship! That is the very essence of prayer! That is knowing God!

P.S. -Good Scripture to Pray- Matthew 6:9-13, Ephesians 3:14-21, Psalm 61, Daniel 9

Dr. Michael Sprague is the Louisiana State Chaplain with the Capitol Commission and President of Grace Adventures. Michael does life with his wonderful wife Donna and resides in Mandeville, LA. His motto is “Bet the Farm on God.” You can find more information about Michael here.