James Montgomery Boice tells of Lawrence of Arabia visiting Paris after World War I with some Arab friends. He showed them around Paris, but what fascinated them most was the faucet in their hotel room. They spent hours turning it on and off; they thought it was wonderful. All they had to do was turn the handle and they could get all the water they wanted. When time came to leave, James found them in bathroom trying to detach the faucet. They explained, “It is very dry in Arabia. What we need are faucets. If we have them, we will have all the water we want. ” James had to explain that the effectiveness of the faucets lay in their connection to the pipeline.
Friend there is a pipeline of power. It is available through prayer. Are you connected? Others can benefit from your prayers. However, there is also a great benefit to you personally. When you become a sports spectator instead of a participant, all the wrong things start to happen to your body. Your weight, blood pressure, resting heart rate and cholesterol all go up. And your oxygen consumption, muscular flexibility, stamina and strength all go down. So it doesn’t take too much to figure out that being a couch potato isn’t good for your physical health. In a similar way being a spiritual spectator – a Christian couch potato – can seriously hinder our spiritual health.