This post is Part 3 of 3 in a series describing Restoration’s response to the Coronavirus.
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Eph 4:6-7 MSG
In thinking through our response to Covid-19, I’ve suggested three initiatives:
Labor in prayer.
Help those nearest to you.
Serve the most vulnerable.
Previous posts have covered serving the least of these and your neighbor but I’ve saved prayer, the most foundational item, for last. Why, you might ask? Partly, it’s because if you’re reading this blog, I assume that you have some sort of relationship with God and prayer doesn’t need much of an explanation. Richard Foster described prayer simply as, “an ongoing conversation with God about the daily stuff of life.”
On the other hand, is there anything so mysterious as talking with the Creator of the Universe? Is there a “right” way to do it? Does it have to be spoken? Can it be action? Can cleaning the dishes be prayer? What about laughter? Tears? Silence? Why do some prayers go unanswered? Why do we have to ask for some things over and over again? But why are we also told not to be too wordy or flashy in prayer? If we know prayer is powerful, why does it feel so passive sometimes? How do we prevent ourselves from turning God into a divine ATM machine?
Rather than trying (quite unsuccessfully!) to answer all these questions, although they are worthy of deep thought and contemplation, I’d like to make the case that by praying, we learn to pray. In this time of uncertainty, fear, and anxiety, may we turn to discipleship over distraction. Here are some suggestions for how to labor in prayer.
PRAY THE PSALMS
The Psalms help us develop our prayer language. Athanasius, the fourth-century bishop of Alexandria said, “Most of the bible speaks to us, but the Psalms speak for us.” The Psalms give us words when we can’t come up with our own. They invite us to pray wild things we dare not ask on our own. They encourage us to lay ourselves open before God, ugliness and all. And they call us out of the depths of despair, by offering unflinching hope. There’s a reason why the Daily Office includes Psalms with every reading. Psalm 46 is a great place to start.
PRAY WITH THE CHURCH
The Book of Common Prayer is a gem. Like the Psalms, it has prayers for all kinds of circumstances and needs. Sometimes, I pray them just as written. Other times, I use them as a springboard for spontaneous prayer related to that specific subject. For this pandemic, I’ve compiled a few (ok, a lot) of prayers into a prayer guide that you can download and print here. If you don’t have a printer, please email me (molly@restorationmpls.org) and I’ll mail you a copy.
PRAY THROUGH THE NIGHT
On the night before he was crucified, Jesus asked his followers to keep watch and pray in the Garden of Gesthemane. Many churches offer an all night prayer vigil after their Maundy Thursday service. And this year, we’re giving it a go, with the upside that you can pray from the comfort of your own home! If you’d like to join us, use the Psalms or the prayer guide above and sign-up for an hour of prayer.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Over the last few weeks most of us have ramped up our screen time. Of course, we’re trying to stay connected with friends and family, but at some point, we need to put down our screens and get outside. Here are a few suggestions (from Fr. Matt Woodley) on how to take a Prayer Walk:
Leave your phone behind or silence it.
Take a piece of paper with a chosen Scripture passage and other prayer thoughts written down.
Quiet your heart and begin by simply listening to nature around you.
As you notice God’s creation, begin also to notice the presence of God, who is always with us.
Begin to pray. As you pray, attune yourself to the Holy Spirit. Make sure to allow for times of quiet listening.
Do you hear any words or see any pictures as you pray? When you conclude your prayer walk, jot down anything you heard or saw from the Lord in your prayer journal when you return.
Rick and I are committed to praying for you. Please reach out to us with any and all specific requests. And may God use this time to grow us all in prayer, as individuals, families, households, and as a church!
Almighty God, you have promised to hear the petitions of those who ask in the Name of your Son: Mercifully incline your ear to us as we make our prayers and supplications to you; and grant that what we ask faithfully, according to your will, we may obtain effectually, for the relief of our necessities and the setting forth of your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!
