Prayer

“The courage actually to go and pray for a person is a sign of sufficient faith.  Frequently our lack is not faith but compassion… it seems that genuine empathy between the pray-er and pray-ee often makes the difference… We do not pray for people as ‘things,’ but as ‘persons’ whom we love.  If we have God-given compassion and concern for others, our faith will grow and strengthen as we pray.  In fact, if we genuinely love people, we desire for them far more than it is within our power to give, and that will cause us to pray.

“We must never wait until we feel like praying before we pray for others… we need not worry that this work will take up too much of our time, for ‘it takes no time, but it occupies all our time…’ Prayer and action should become wedded.”

-          Celebrations of Discipline, Chapter 4

 Richard Foster

 

I have been invited to participate in a project at Seattle Pacific University called Sharpen.  It is aimed at promoting community at the university and its surrounding area.  It has been fun considering what it would look like to be committed with a group of guys at promoting community.  Reading through this chapter on prayer I was stuck by Foster’s statement that “Frequently, our lack is not faith, but compassion.” 

How often do we say we love someone but lack the compassion to even pray for them?  I know in my own life I frequently forget to show people love and compassion as completely as scripture instructs us to.  It is difficult to love when the person you love does not show love or interest in return.  Yet that is part of living in community.  We are to show love and compassion to those around us regardless.  We must show them compassion; compassion enough to pray for them.  Community isn’t trying to find people who enjoy the same things we do but instead about how we show others love.  We shouldn’t be focused on how others can serve us but how we can serve others.  When we are focused on serving others just as Christ has served us, which is when we will be satisfied.  Without the focus and care for others, we will be unable to feel the empathy that is so desperately needed in prayer. 

Too often when we pray, we forget to try and empathize with the people we’re praying for and we miss the point.  Praying in this way causes us to naturally treat them as things rather than persons, immediately separating ourselves from them.

Prayer is certainly vital to any Christian community.  As much as I love scripture, others and the Lord; prayer is often what I gloss over and how I fail others the most.  Interestingly enough, I am never more inclined to pray than when my compassion for others drives me to my knees.   Sadly, I fear my compassion and the impact others have on me is not always evident.  A trait I clearly picked up from my father, I see myself time and time again failing to make it clear to those around me just how much I love them and think about them.   I hope that through the Sharpen Ministry I become more inclined to pray regularly and that my compassion and empathy for those around me is clear.