No Wonder Jesus Prayed

I recently spent some with a group of guys that, for lack of a better term, are not very holy. They claim to be Christians, and they attend church a few times a year, but man are they lost or at least very backslidden. Some of the language and jokes made this preacher very uncomfortable at times, even a little red in the face. But Jesus spent time with lost people on a regular basis. Often in Scripture He would rub elbows with the lowest people in society; loving them unconditonally and teaching them about the Kingdom which is what I wish to do as well. But I can't help but wonder...How did He handle the blasphemy and corse joking?

The longer I am a pastor the more and more I realize the deep need in my life for prayer. No wonder Jesus prayed all the time; He had so much to deal with during His ministry here on earth. Prayer and intimacy with the Father is the only thing that got Him through. Charles Spurgeon said, "I think we should make it a rule, whenever we hear a foul or blasphemous word in the street, always pray for the person who utters it. Perhaps the devil might find it expedient not to stir up people to swear, if he knew that it excited Christians to pray." What a great statement! I will be praying more for the lost people I spend time with as I am with them and I look forward to seeing what will happen.