Still Praying

Patience. 
Waiting. 
Longing for movement 
in the mist that blinds us, 
sends us to the corner, 
still praying. 

Patience. 
Loving. 
Putting up with tantrums 
and the obstinate 
stupidities of loved ones, 
still praying. 

Patience. 
Persisting. 
Keeping on in spite of 
constant irritations, worse yet, 
in face of outright pain, 
still praying. 

Patience. 
Hoping. 
Willing to hold on 
to “someday”, over the long haul, 
no short-term gains in sight, 
still praying. 

Patience. 
Trusting. 
Knowing Yahweh to be good 
clear through, coming through 
for me and for his truth. 
Still praying.

Patience. 
Begging. 
Asking him to radiate 
his power into my deep inside, 
so that I can endure. 
Still praying. 

Have you been there too? Stuck in a hard spot, begging for help? Deeply concerned for the physical or spiritual well-being of a loved one, crying out for intervention? Scared of the chaos that doesn’t go away in your country, city or church, pleading for resolution?

I wrote this poem over twenty years ago, and I’m still praying for some of the subjects I had in mind.

Whatever our concern, when we realize that divine action is desperately needed, if we believe that our God is King of Everything, we turn to him. Without shame we run to the Throne, throw ourselves down before him, and beg.  It’s called supplication or petition, but I sometimes find those words weak. In some cases I might bring before the King a petition, signed by friends or family or the pastor. But many times I am bowing before him, pleading in desperation.  And not just once; it can go on and on for years.

So does it even matter? Why are we told several times in the Word to practice this kind of prayer? And how can we do it constantly, without stopping?

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Eph 6.18 NIV)

Wow! That certainly is comprehensive:  all occasions, all kinds of prayers, always keeping on praying, for all the Lord’s people! Is that possible to carry out?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Phil 4:6 NIV)

Once again, we are to pray in every situation that hits our anxiety meter, calming it down by begging the King for resolution. Qualification: we are to be giving thanks!  Yes, instead of just “casting our cares” on him, we must remember to thank him for listening to us, for caring enough to let us keep on coming to him with our requests (notice that the word there is “requests,” not “imperative demands”). We are to come with confidence, aware that Abba will receive us and listen, grateful that he loves us and that he is already informed.

We know that because of the Prayer Circle that we contemplated in the last two blogs: the Spirit lives in us and tells Abba God what is going on and what concerns us, presenting our case; Jesus intercedes for us (Heb 7:25) as our advocate (1 John 2:1); the Father loves us and makes his home in us through the Spirit (John 14:23). He is Sovereign, and he will respond in accordance with his good purpose. Because he is the supreme ruler, is completely good, and is love in its true essence, his purpose is often beyond what we can see in our time and space. Much of his purpose is what we are waiting to see happen when he makes all things new, both human believers and this broken world. This is a confident assurance, “hope” that is based on solid truth. That is why the context of how he answers our prayers matters:

²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. ²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. ²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.  (Rom. 8:25–29 NIV)

God’s purpose is that we might be made like his Son, Jesus—fully mature, healthy, completely set apart for him and for what he plans. So we have an excellent reason to pray with patience, hoping and trusting and begging for his gift of strength and understanding of his will so that we can make it to the finish line. That is what Paul said he and his companions were doing:

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, ¹⁰ so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,  and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. (Col 1:9-12 NIV)

When we are getting to know God more and more intimately, we learn how to live according to his purpose. It is important to see that this is an ongoing process, not a one-time-done job: We are bearing fruit, growing in knowing God, being strengthened, giving thanks. When we are relying on him, walking through life with an inner focus on him, there is natural conversation between us. Obviously, Paul and his coworkers did not blab prayers every minute of every day, although they were “continually” praying for these believers. As Charles F. Stanley puts it:

“First, the apostle did not mean that we should walk around all day mumbling to God. Rather, he taught that we can live in a constant attitude of intercession, even as we go about our daily routines. Of course, some days we’ll pray much more than others. But regardless of the particular items on our ‘to do’ list, we can maintain a natural, ongoing conversation with the Lord that encompasses our whole lives. God has called us to be people of prayer, and regular communication creates intimate fellowship with our Savior. . . When we develop a prayerful outlook, eventually our communication with the Lord becomes our first instinct in every situation — not only when we face a challenge or encounter a difficulty.”[1]

Imagine having a “constant attitude of intercession”! It could be like this: I hear voices shouting at each other in a house across the street; I pray. I meet up with a friend and am deeply hurt in the conversation; I bring it to my Abba, thanking him for consoling me when he reminds me that Jesus was insulted many times during his life on earth. I have been asking the Spirit to touch someone whose heart is closed to following Jesus, and they post yet one more thing on social media that shows their rigid stance; I bring it to the Prayer Circle and beg for intervention, thanking the Father that there is still an open relationship between me and that person. I am cooking a birthday cake for a grandchild and pray for their growth in their faith, thanking the Lord that they have already asked to be baptized.

That is how I want it to be! This is how the Word is speaking to me. May prayer be a “first instinct” in each situation!

It takes practice. It takes staying on alert as well as in communication with the Lord. One way I have found to practice it is to turn my morning walk into more than counting my steps; it has become a prayer walk too—praying for neighbors, the neighborhood, friends who come to mind, family, and thanking the Creator for all the flowers and trees. Mundane tasks can be turned into opportunities for thanksgiving and prayer as well. One excellent reminder that has come my way this week is this:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters (Col. 3:23 NIV)

When we can live like that, heart tuned in to this Prayer Circle that is praying for us, the Triune God who is our intercessor and guide, we are walking his Path in the right direction and praying “continually.” May it be so!

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[1] From The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, 2nd Edition, NIV, https://www.thenivbible.com/blog/what-does-it-mean-pray-continually/ (1 Thessalonians 5:17)