A Prayer for Love in the Church

Today, I am going to make a bit of a departure in what I write. I am writing this blog for many reasons, one of which is as an incentive to work through my understanding of various passages in the Bible. The reason behind this is my desire to know more of God, and to make my beliefs and actions imitate the ideal we have in the life of Jesus. However, it is not the act of knowing more itself which can make us more Christ like, rather this transformation is only possibly in God’s will and with his help. That is why the Spirit was sent amongst us, as a helper – to enable and encourage us to live holy lives. This relational aspect of Christianity is important, and from this flows the need, and indeed the command, that we pray. Indeed in Philippians’ we read “do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

So, to encourage myself to pray more I’m going to do something I haven’t done before. Rather than letting my thoughts meander as I pray, I am going to try and organise them and commit a prayer to paper (well, to this blog anyway). Here goes, not with eloquent or wise words,…

My Lord and Father, I am yours. Let all I do, think or say please you. Let my thoughts turn to you and dwell on you always, for you alone are good. Equip me my God, not that I would be more holy, or wise, although these I desire also, but that I might be more full of your love. A love that is so complete it leaves room for nothing else and overflows from such a meagre vessel as I. Yet I do not pray this only for myself, but also for all those who know you, that your Church would be a place of such love that the world must stop in its tracks and stare. A unified body, a beautiful bride. A Church which does not look inward, but seeks to share your love with any neighbour. I pray for those neighbours, that they would hear the outstanding good news of the Gospel, that they would love this truth, and that you would save them, oh God. That they too would call you Father, and that I could rejoice with the angles in heaven at having many new brothers and sisters. I pray in the name of the Son, crucified that I and they might have life, and that life to the full, Amen.

A Prayfull People?

Sometimes I forget how important prayer is. Not the fact that it is communion with God and therefore the most important thing imaginable but rather the frequency with which we should pray. At the moment I’m going through the book of Ephesians with a group of people from church. In his introduction Paul (as in many of his letters) tells of his thoughts for the recipients of the letter.

"Ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers." Eph 1:15-16

Paul constantly thinks about this distant church, he constantly brings these people before God in prayer. How often do we pray about our own church, let alone the part of the church that is far off? It has certainly challenged me to be persistent in prayer not just for specific needs but also just bringing people before the Lord. We are also called to pray for the spiritual blessing of each other.

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." Eph 1:17

These blessings are obviously something that needs to be asked for not a default package that comes with salvation. This is quite a statement. God gives his gifts freely but sometimes we still have to ask for them on our own or another’s behalf. I think this gives us a responsibility for one another. Think; if we don’t pray for someone then they may not be blessed in that specific way.