At this time of Thanksgiving, we are reminded that thankfulness is to be part of prayer.
The apostle Paul wrote: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7.
Paul starts out by telling us to be joyful. It there is any anxiety, it is to be placed in the hands of God in prayer. We note, however, that it is not just bringing our urgent need before God; it is to make sure that we come in a spirit of thankfulness.
How many of our prayers are just asking for things because we are in a crisis or just want more prosperity in life? It can be tempting to always be crisis-oriented when it comes to prayer. The apostle encourages us to include a word of thanks in the prayers. Note what this inclusion does for us. It makes us not forget what we do have and, above all, have received from God. It makes us see that God is the provider of all that we have received; therefore, we can place our trust in our Creator for the deepest concerns we bring.
How is it going with your prayers? Are they just filled with requests only? Are you also able to remember to give thanks?
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
A House of Prayer for All Peoples
We read in the book of Isaiah: "For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples." Is. 56:7
Prayer is the vehicle through which we communicate with God. We are brought into direct conversation with our living God. I remember the definition of prayer I learned from my days of being in Confirmation Class: "Prayer is a heart to heart talk between the believer and God." Prayer is where we can speak to God the most intimate details of our lives--probably what we would not feel comfortable revealing to others.
While it is true we can pray anywhere, the sanctuary itself is a special venue for prayer. It is here that we are in the company of other believers. It is here where we are gathered to bring our thanks, praise, and supplications to God.
At Savior Divine, we list in the bulletin the names of people who have requested prayer. Their names are read aloud in our service. We also have a time for members to speak aloud or in the silence of their hearts their prayers before God.
I like this idea of being open to God when assembled for worship. Do you have a house of worship where you can pray? Have you prayed very much in an ecumenical setting?
Prayer is the vehicle through which we communicate with God. We are brought into direct conversation with our living God. I remember the definition of prayer I learned from my days of being in Confirmation Class: "Prayer is a heart to heart talk between the believer and God." Prayer is where we can speak to God the most intimate details of our lives--probably what we would not feel comfortable revealing to others.
While it is true we can pray anywhere, the sanctuary itself is a special venue for prayer. It is here that we are in the company of other believers. It is here where we are gathered to bring our thanks, praise, and supplications to God.
At Savior Divine, we list in the bulletin the names of people who have requested prayer. Their names are read aloud in our service. We also have a time for members to speak aloud or in the silence of their hearts their prayers before God.
I like this idea of being open to God when assembled for worship. Do you have a house of worship where you can pray? Have you prayed very much in an ecumenical setting?
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