The Prayer of Faith
“Prayer delights God’s ear; it melts His heart.”
– Thomas Watson
What a gift we have in prayer. Prayer speaks to the relationship that we have with God. We do not serve a a god who has simply wound up the universe and is tucked away somewhere in the cosmos. But rather we are invited into relationship with a Father who is intimately involved with his children.
“Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.”
– Oswald Chambers
Prayer speaks to God's power at work in his creation. Our God is the one who owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He is Jehovah Jireh. He is El Shaddai. He holds the hearts of kings in his hands. We bring to him our global concerns, our geo-political concerns, our desires to see the knowledge of God cover the earth. Prayer is the way this work goes forward; in our homes, from our homes, and throughout the world.
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. James 5:13–15
Prayer is the means by which we bring together the heart of God with his power. When we are sick he calls us to prayer. In the moment of our frailty, he invites us to remember his fortitude. Our Father remembers that we are dust and as the Great Physician calls us to seek his care.
Since we began again with our Wednesday nights January 18th, we have been about the work of prayer. We have had folks gathered to pray for the hard things going on in our world. Folks praying for the ministry that emanates from Christ Church. Especially praying for its effectiveness in reaching into the lives of those most in need. Our kids and young people have been about the business of prayer, learning and leaning into this precious gift.
The other prayer initiative not mentioned above is that each week we have have folks gathered to intercede on behalf of those needs that touch on the body of Christ Church. We pray for those who are sick. We pray for concerns like family relationships, job loss, etc.. This coming week (and again on March 1st) we are going to invite any in our congregation with ongoing needs, be they physical/emotional needs (illness, injury, depression, anxiety) or things like a particularly entrenched relational difficulty or besetting sin, to come and have the elders of the church anoint and pray with them in accordance with James 5. This is a practice that we have employed when people have specifically sought it out, but since we don't always know the needs that exist we thought we would offer it more generally. Martin Luther once said, "“None can believe how powerful prayer is, and what it is able to effect, but those who have learned it by experience. It is a great matter when in extreme need to take hold on prayer.” Let us learn this by experience together!
This coming Lord's Day we will be looking at the power of the Kingdom that breaks into the fallenness of the world through the lens of Luke 4:31-44. Once again we will see people flocking to Jesus, both gathering crowds as well individuals who do not come themselves but are found by Jesus. Once again we will have our attention drawn by this one filled with compassion and power!