A Year of Reflections: Week Two

by | Jan 16, 2025 | Year of Reflection | 0 comments

Prayer Requires Courage

Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer

According to the definition of the word, courage is facing our fears and acting anyway, or it is “strength in the face of pain or grief.” (From Google definition.) Both of these meanings are implicit in praying courageously for ourselves and others. Some of the fears we face when deciding to pray are:

  • I’m afraid to get so involved in other people’s problems especially when the answer to my prayers might mean I have to “do something” for them.
  • I don’t have the time to pray for so many problems. I’m afraid I’ll never solve any of my problems, much less those of others, if I spend all this time praying about them.
  • If I get involved with prayer ministry, sooner or later someone’s going to ask me to pray aloud. I’m so afraid of doing that, I’m not going to be involved in any prayer invitations.
  • What if I offer to pray for someone and they don’t want me to. I’d be so embarrassed.

Then there are all the implications of focusing on the agonies in other people’s lives (facing pain and grief). It seems so much easier to embrace the position that we can just pray a little prayer and wish them well and be done with the matter. That is until we encounter the Apostle James’ pointed reminder about faith. It also applies to prayer as my substitutions in James’ teaching on faith below illustrate:

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to [be a person of prayer] but [doesn’t pray continually when others are hurting]? …  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you [prays for] them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but [isn’t persistent in prayer for their welfare and in asking God to show us ways to help], what good is it? (See James 2:14-16 for his actual teaching).

In John 8:1 Jesus prefaced his parable of a wicked judge and an importunate widow to illustrate “… that they should always pray and not give up.” If you want to obey the Master, be of good courage and pray!

(Photo credit: Sandra Edster, Edster farm)