To Pray is to Love

 On our recent trip to Australia some dear friends gave us these little wooden praying hands.  These friends have prayed with us, and for us, and for many others over many years, so it was a very fitting gift. The first thing I noticed about these little hands was the natural heart in the woodgrain, and as I look at this each morning during my time with God, it has occurred to me that to pray is to love.  How so?

Firstly, to pray is to acknowledge and turn one's heart and mind towards God. Jesus was our example as he often went off alone to pray - to talk with his Father.  He prayed for God's will to be done in his life, and in his death (Luke 22:41-42)  He prayed for his followers (John 17:9-26). He prayed for the sick on many occasions.  He prayed because he loved. He cared about his world and its people. Prayer formed the foundation of his life on earth, and he continues to pray for us as he intercedes for believers at the right hand of God (Romans 8:34 and Hebrews 7:25).

My own growth in prayer has been quite strange to me.  I have never considered myself to be much of a pray-er but God has put in my heart a desire to pray.  I have been a reluctant pray-er but God seems to have nudged me on.  I've loved to read about people of prayer and books on intercession but those people have always seemed to be on a different plane from me.  However, in quite a few churches I've found myself, usually reluctantly,  thrust into heading up prayer ministry.

Prayer is not a spiritual gift, it is a spiritual discipline, an act of love towards God and our fellow humanity. It is a confession of our reliance upon God, an act of humility, it is a gift of love, as we worship God and pray for others.

Feeling anxious about what 2023 will hold?  God's word encourages us......Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. This is practical advice from the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:6.  Practical because, as Jesus said, "Can any one of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life?"  The answer is, of course, NO.  So let's not waste our energy on a fruitless act, but rather turn our anxious thoughts into trusting prayers.

May this year find us growing in, and giving ourselves more, to prayer.  Our world needs it and we need it.  Enjoy the fellowship and learn the discipline of praying with others.  The more you do it, the more you will want to do it.  It will be time well spent.

Jesus, thank you that you demonstrated prayer in your own life and taught your disciples to pray when they asked you. They recognised its, value but confessed their need of learning how to pray. Please increase in me this year, the desire to pray and the discipline to do it. Amen