Devotional 12-23-14

Pray without Ceasing

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstance; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.   (Thessalonians 5:16- 18)

Earlier this fall one of the weekly devotionals focused on the question of what does it mean to “pray without ceasing.”  The idea expressed was that all aspects of our life can be offered to God through prayer, and there are many different ways to pray in addition to our intentional, quiet time of prayer. This meaningful devotional also reminded me of an illustration of the latter, intentional prayer.  

For many years there was a ministry at the church known as the Tuesday Morning Prayer Group. The associate pastor who began this ministry in the 1980’s , Rev. Dr. Charles Echols, is still remembered by many for his spirit filled life and teachings.  On one occasion during a meeting of the Prayer Group he encouraged those present to think beyond family, friends and immediate contacts, to choose a person for whom they had never prayed and do so each day “without ceasing” for one year.  My mother was among those who accepted this invitation.

Sometime after that year and the peaceful conclusion to the Cold War, we learned that the person for whom she had prayed was Mikhail Gorbachev.  When asked why she had chosen him, she mentioned several factors.  First, she and my father had been on a trip to the Scandinavian countries which also included several days in St. Petersburg, Russia.  They had seen the oppression of the people, Bibles banished under the Soviet regime, churches used as museums and even government offices.  They had also witnessed the courage of a lovely tour guide who said:  “Please enter the next room quietly; it remains a sacred place.”  Secondly, she had read that Mr. Gorbachev’s mother had been a Christian and that he was been baptized as a young child.  If accurate, and she believed it to be, this provided assurance that he had been claimed as a child of God years before, whether he knew it or not.  Thus she began a prayer journey that his heart and mind might warm to the needs of his people and that he might become receptive to God’s spirit at work in his life.   While many factors contributed to the peaceful end of the Cold War, these include, at least in my mind, the work of the Holy Spirit.  

God loves us, cares about each of us and covets the prayers of His people.  For whom might we “pray without ceasing” in the coming year?  The possibilities are endless in a time of crisis around the world, problems facing our nation, needs in our community and yes, needs in our church. What measures might we continue to take to identify, encourage and welcome children into our fellowship that they may be baptized, hear the stories of Jesus and experience the love of God?

“Every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart, I will pray.  Yes, every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart, I will pray.”  Nudge us, oh God, to feel Thy spirit at work in us as we pray in Jesus name.  Amen.

Sue Darlington Woods