Being Faithful In Prayer

Rev. Richard Smith

Romans 12:12be faithful in prayer.

I wrote a blog piece back in mid-January on prayer, but felt the need write again as I re-read Paul’s words here in Romans 12.  In essence, I want to expand on what I said then.

Let’s first admit that we can casually say, “I’m praying for you”, to someone in need while giving minimal prayer attention to the particular person and his/her needs.  I’m not denigrating our good intentions here; just acknowledging that all too often, including with me, our words aren’t matched by our intentional prayer time.  I noted before that brief prayers matter and I believe that, but we also need to recognize our stated commitment to truly hold someone in dedicated prayer.  The more sincere prayers offered, the more love and caring God carries to a needed recipient.

Next, let’s acknowledge that sometimes the gravity of world events seems to minimize the importance and/or power of prayer.  Ukraine is a primary example.  As we watch the devastation, the three million refugees to date, the horrible violence, the decisions of a mad dictator, one can truly wonder what difference our prayers make.  Let me say some things here.

  • We honestly can’t make a direct connection between our prayers and the results among the besieged Ukrainian population.  To attempt to do so would belie a naivete which helps no one.  It’s here that we believe that God does something with our prayers and trust that He fulfils his promises to honor our prayers.
  • When we pray for world events and global needs, as long as we’re not being superficial, we are letting God know that what matters to him matters to us.  The mistreatment of the vulnerable matters to God.  The march of evil matters to God.  The well-being of all his people matters to God.  The implementation of justice matters to God.  The unleashing of love matters to God.  So, in other words, our prayers are a way of letting God know where we stand; of letting God know that we’re not provincial Christians with little interest of great historical matters; of letting God know that we want to seek his will for our personal lives and on the world stage.

Now, as noted in January, we need to affirm our understanding that when we pray, we’re offering ourselves to God as prospective vessels through whom He can work.  Of course, He can work through us whether we give ourselves or not, but the greater results come through willing vessels.  This truth doesn’t mean that we can or are willing to take on all the great problems of our world.  In other words, we shouldn’t bear the burden of having to make things right in all situations; especially the more global.  But it does mean we don’t take lightly discerning how we can help God achieve his intention.  There’s always some basic step, some smaller effort, some achievable possibility where our input can indeed make a difference.

So, yes, pray!! And understand what it means to pray!  And recommit ourselves to being faithful in a spiritual discipline which God established and which Jesus routinely practiced!!