The Power Of A Praying Man

Friday, March 05, 2010 Print Article
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The Power of a Praying Man
Kevin Bond
Prayer has always been the backbone of the African American family. Historically, not many African American men were willing to admit the fact that they regularly practiced prayer at home. Even fewer could say that they learned from their fathers the essential discipline of prayer.

For too many men, their twisted quest to be perceived as macho put the woman on the front lines as the spiritual leader of the home. Women became the ones to pray and carry the children to church while men stayed home, watched the games or played golf with the boys. This relinquishment of responsibility was due in part to the misguided perception that men who are active in church are soft or sissified.

Well, I'm from a different generation and I'm proud to say that the opposite was true for me. Not only was my father a praying man, but my grandfather was also a man of much prayer. They both instilled in me the practice of prayer, and I'm now passing that same trait to my sons and daughters.

My father, Alex T. Bond Jr., was a man who taught his children at an early age the power of prayer. Not once do I remember sitting down to a family meal without first asking God to bless our food. Not only would Dad pray over the food, but he would also raise any family issue or crisis that may have been looming that day. This could be work or schoolrelated, social, or even political. This became my norm.

In fact, for many of my friends who came over to visit at meal times, it became their norm. We could always tell those who weren't accustomed to this lifestyle of prayer because they would neither know Bible verses nor see the need to ask God's blessing over the meal. In an effort to plant the seed of prayer in my friends' lives, Dad would ask one of his children to lead prayer.

We gladly did so and were thrilled at the opportunity to share with our friends the practice of prayer that our parents had taught us. The most rewarding part was that we were also encouraged to practice this habit at school, as well as in our friends' homes. But Dad's prayer life extended far beyond the dinner table. As a child, I witnessed my father leading the church in prayer as a choir director, deacon, evangelist, and ultimately a pastor.

What a joy to know that the man people came to know and love publicly as Pastor Bond, was the same man I knew and loved privately as Dad. I am certain that Dad's active prayer life played a vital role in his development as he progressed through the different stages of his ministry assignments.

You see, prayer to us was recognized as one's communion with his Heavenly Father. For Christians, it's the way we commune with our God. It's the language through which we communicate with God. The Bible even states that Jesus communicated with God through prayer while He dwelt among us on earth. Prayer is one of the indispensable disciplines in the life of the Christian.

In fact, there's a motto that we use that states, "No prayer, no power; little prayer, little power; much prayer, much power." I feel blessed to have had a father who unashamedly prayed and taught our family to do likewise. I never saw my father hit my mother, spend the night in jail, drink, nor use drugs. I'd like to believe that it was because the prayer that he engaged in privately caused him to live openly as a righteous man.

That's my personal experience with the praying man God chose to rear me. I have adopted many of his methods and continue to pass them on to the next generation!

Dad , God rest your soul! Thanks for teaching us to pray!



Kevin Bond, a native from Chicago, IL, is perhaps one of the finest producers in the gospel music industry today. His leadership and production expertise have been vital to the success of some of gospel music's most recognizable artists, including Kirk Franklin, God's Property, Donnie McClurkin, Yolanda Adams, Bishop T.D. Jakes and The Potter's House Mass Choir, Marvin Sapp, and host of others. His book, A Servant's Guide From A Servant's Heart, is currently in it's second printing and has become a best-seller for those wishing to grow in ministry as well as the workplace. Kevin and his beautiful wife Toni reside in Atlanta, Georgia with their children; Alex III, Tayler Alexia, Kiara, and Phillip. For more information about Kevin Bond, log onto www.kevinbond.com.