Prayer

A quote from E.M. Bounds comes to my mind every so often: “Prayer is not preparation for the battle; prayer is the battle!” There are a number of close friends and relatives on my special prayer list, as usual, but it’s a challenge to really give the time and energy to this ministry. Too often it comes across as superficial or self-serving to say to someone who has expressed a genuine need, “I’ll be praying for you,” or “I’ll keep you in my prayers.” These days we often hear a TV or radio personality comment that “our prayers go out” to someone who is facing health problems or dealing with grief. That may be what they really mean. But for the Christian, of course, our prayers don’t go out to anyone, except to God.

In terms of our sharing faith with others, an insight from theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer is worth remembering, too. “You need not talk with a person about God until you have first talked with God about that person.” Genuine evangelism is rooted in prayer – prayer for oneself to be as real and open to the Spirit in the relationship as possible, and prayer for the friend who has not yet discovered the grace of God.