Did Jesus pray when he was "in a pinch"? Have you ever thought about that? You probably have done such praying in the middle of a family crisis, or facing a decision, which could change your life, or feeling overwhelmed by the world's problems - or even getting into a spot because you did not do your homework. In any one of these instances, you may have prayed, "God, have mercy!" Even people who have a reputation for being non-religious will utter a prayer in a pinch or a jam, and so there is the line, "There are no atheists in foxholes." We all are sometimes like soldiers trapped by enemy fire and pleading to God for rescue. But did Jesus "pray in a pinch?"

It is probably every pastor's temptation to stand before his or her congregation and criticize this kind of praying. We are supposed…