Prayer Advised
An Article by Renée Harms
For most of my relatively short and uneventful life, I have been pretty faithful in keeping a journal. From the early days of “My First Diary” (safely closed with lock and key!) to the prayer journals of adulthood, the accumulation of these many books has resulted in an extensive written record of my life.
One of my favorite things about journaling is starting a brand-new book. Every time I sit down to write that first entry, I stare at the blank pages and I wonder, “What will be written in this book? What will be the trials, the triumphs, the joys, the heartaches, the lessons? What experiences and discoveries are waiting to be written? What will the pages hold?” It’s a huge mystery—and I get to be part of solving it!
That’s also how I often feel when a new year rolls around, with the fireworks, the singing, and the wishes of happiness for the next 365 days. I can’t help but imagine what this year will bring.
As you read this, some of you are feeling the excitement I’m talking about, the curiosity that makes time seem to crawl. But for others, you already know enough about what’s in store this year that the thought makes you want to turn around and run in the other direction.
Whatever sentiments you may be experiencing, remember the words of Paul: “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18 NIV) In a letter to the Thessalonians, he states it again, “Pray without ceasing.”
Something tells me this wasn’t a passing thought or empty bit of counsel. Looking at the life of the apostles and the early church, one can’t help but notice the immense amount of time they spent in prayer. And they weren’t the only ones. The Bible is full of stories of individuals and groups who made prayer as natural as eating and breathing.
And what were the results?
David became a man of wisdom, Daniel was given courage and integrity, Job was able to keep his faith amidst ultimate tragedy, the apostles experienced a spiritual power to help evangelize the world, and the list continues. And most importantly, all of them knew what it felt like to go through life intimately connected to God. Who wouldn’t want that?
What would happen if Christians everywhere took prayer as seriously as those Bible champions did? Here at the beginning of 2005, as you look ahead to unseen adventures, to the unknown and unwritten “pages” ahead, I offer you—and me—a challenge to “pray without ceasing.” No matter what each moment holds, fill it with God, who promises, “Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24)
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