Healing Rays of Righteousness

Tomorrow, May 2, is designated as the “National Day of Prayer.”  For what reason?  In what ways will your thoughts and scheduled activities be reshaped to honor the day?

Before his arrest and crucifixion, “Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane” to pray.  Later he found his disciples sleeping and he asked them, “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?  …Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”  (Mt. 26:36, 40-41).

The words “Watch and pray”  were much more than a reminder not to fall asleep while praying, but rather his words were a call is to be intentional and vigilant about prayer.

Jesus modeled his admonition to “Watch and pray” by habitually giving time to prayer, constantly realigning his activities and planning with the Father’s will.  In all the major crisis of his life and ministry, Jesus took time to pray and make sure he was still headed in the right direction.

Simone Weil, who died in 1943 at the age of 32, was part of the French Resistance movement during the Second World War.  After the war she became known as an apostle of the spiritual life.  Simone Weil defined prayer as attention. 

So, too, Pascal, her spiritual forebear, felt that the greatest enemy of the spiritual life was in-attention, complacency.  Their thoughts surely echo Jesus’ “Watch and pray” admonition.

The apostle Paul considers prayer to be a serious matter when he writes in Colossians 4:2, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”  The apostle’s explicit command to the church is not simply to pray but to devote yourselves to prayer.  Paul’ concern and call is about keeping alert, paying attention, and being thankful in prayer.

I hear the words “being watchful” to mean “be alert, pay attention,” which is all about listening to, and being in relationship with God.  Maintaining relationship requires my making intentional space and time to listen, pay attention, to what God is saying to me.  How else can I faithfully follow my all-wise Savior and Shepherd, Jesus?

I think we Christians often fail to appropriately value the rich resource that prayer is for us.  We glibly “say a prayer” at mealtimes, or begin a meeting or special event with prayer; and yet, in doing so, we are often more motivated by tradition than by a sincere, genuine desire for God’s presence and power in our midst.

Prayer is about enjoying both communication and relationship with God. To be privileged to come into the presence of Almighty God as his children, and to speak with him as “Our Father” is a privilege of unimaginable worth.

Furthermore, our praying opens the gates of heaven for God’s “will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  Prayer brings God into our life and work and also makes us more conscious of his presence and power.

Prayer connects us to the wisdom, power, and energy of God.  The prophet Isaiah wrote, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  They will walk and not faint.” (Isa. 40:31).  It is the privilege of every child of God to have this super-natural power and energy of God’s Spirit in their life and work.

I believe prayer is one of God’s majestic gifts to us, a gift of gracious privilege, and a gift of tremendous value in daily enabling us through life’s uncertain and often difficult journey. To be privileged to come into the presence of God Almighty and to speak with him about what is on our hearts and minds, is a gift of grace.

The biggest challenge for all of us is to keep our eyes open, our minds alert, and always focused on Jesus.  And this can only be accomplished as we devote ourselves to diligent , informed and focused prayer with thanksgiving.

William Temple is quoted as saying, “When I pray coincidences happen, and when I do not pray, they don’t.”  Mother Teresa said, “Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift of Himself.”  And Leonard Ravenhill wrote, “The self-sufficient do not pray, the self-satisfied will not pray, and the self-righteous cannot pray.”

Let’s hear the call of tomorrow’s “National Day of Prayer” and give ourselves to diligent, devoted prayer in behalf of our nation and its leadership.  I invite you to join me in praying, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth (in U.S.A, in my community and church) as it is in heaven.”

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 1, 2019