The World Team Ministry Framework describes our commitment and calling to prayer this way:
“Prayer is real conversation with God and is vital to a growing relationship with Him and ministry in His name. Prayer reflects our belonging and submission to Him, our need for direction and provision, and our acknowledgement that we can do nothing without Him.
We believe that personal and corporate prayer manifest obedience and humility, submitting ourselves to God and His agenda, and for His power. Such dependence nurtures alertness to the spiritual dimensions of our undertakings and equips us with wisdom and knowledge for our calling. Above all, prayer changes things because it is God’s desire that we ask Him to work.”
We pray because God wants us to talk with Him. One of the catechisms of the Church puts it this way: “Question: What is prayer? Answer: Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of His mercies.”
What I like about both the statements above is that there is no sense of an ‘obligation’ to pray, as if it is a work that I must do in order to somehow bend God’s will to mine. Prayer flows from a heart that recognizes what God has already accomplished in opening the door to relationship with Him. Prayer is the simple acknowledgement that we need Him in light of all that He has done and continues to do for us.
It’s only natural then that throughout the day, our hearts would turn to Him: when we are working on a project; before we spend time in conversation with others; and when someone is leaving our apartment and we’re standing at the front door.
It’s not a duty. We’re ‘offering up our desires’ to Him, asking again (and again) that He would work for His glory.
Filed under: Guiding Principles, Prayer | 4 Comments »
Yet, how do we ‘get things done’ while depending wholly on God? We could put the same question in other ways, such as ‘how might planning run counter to the Spirit’s work in our lives?’ or ‘where does the importance lie: with prayer or with planning?’
The ‘tyranny of the urgent’ plagues all of us.
Let me give you a couple of examples. First, during the time of prayer, everyone prayed, all at the same time. In our local church, maybe in yours as well, people pray out loud one at a time, one after the other, during time dedicated to open prayer. Now I had experienced this kind of ‘all together’ prayer in small group contexts, but never in a church meeting of 40+ people. Second, they gave room for people to grow in their gifts and talents. The young woman leading worship explained, at one point, that a year ago she did not know how to play the guitar. However, the need arose when their main worship leader left. So, the church encouraged her to learn how to play the guitar and let her ‘grow’ in her ability over the past year. She is now writing worship music which local Christian editors would like her to include in a new release of songbooks for churches. Third, for a small church they had an exciting and adventurous vision. At the end of the service, the pastor explained that he would be leaving for Africa that week because of a ministry opportunity the church had to train a group of women in microfinance. This would allow these women to meet the physical needs of their families as well as open doors of opportunity for the church to minister to the community where these women live. As we left, Rebecca and I both commented on how amazing it was that such a small church could have such a large vision.
Thoughts Along The Journey 