I know a pastor who often says a particular phrase when he prays in worship:
“Help us to be a part of the very prayers we make.”
It’s a phrase I have taken on as well when I lead prayers. Prayer can mean many different things and take on many different forms. I suspect if we pray, most of us pray in many different formats, and we likely infuse that process with many forms of meaning.
But certainly, praying should call us to action.
We need to be a part of the very prayers we make.
So if you pray, what do you pray for these days? Or if you would use a different word than prayer, what do you hope for? Or long for? What need is grabbing your attention in this world, your community, your family?
Whatever it is, how might we take an action to be present to that very need? Or to address that very need?
How might this be important especially for neighbors who are so often out of view?
– Those in prison,
– Those going hungry,
– Those experiencing homelessness,
– Those in the throes of addiction,
– Those who are immigrants,
– Those who live in fear in the shadows,
– Those who are sick without healthcare,
– Those who are stigmatized because of mental illness,
– Those who have lost jobs,
– Those who are foreclosing on their houses,
– Those who have received a challenging diagnosis,
– Those who are harassed or bullied. . .
Whatever and whomever comes to mind. . .
May we be a part of the very prayers we make.
Smuggling Grace 