Introduction                                                                                                                                      

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” Romans 12:12

“Will you pray for us?” When I return home to Ohio for family gatherings, now people look to me to lead them in prayer. My fear is that prayer is becoming something only “experts” should do.

Looking back at my prayer life I am no expert! I learned the Lord ’s Prayer, table grace, and a bed time prayer from my mother because that is what we did. But from a young age I learned the value of taking time to talk to God and to my parents, and I enjoyed spending time together. Later during my college years when I felt alone and was wrestling with the question, what should I do with my life? A mentor from church challenged me to write down my concerns, my fears, and my hopes and my dreams because God promised to be with me to give me guidance. Since then, I have talked to others about their prayer life, and I continue to be challenged and encouraged by the different ways people pray.

You can pray while you are walking or when you sit down, while you are driving, or when you are at home, work, or school. Praying can be as simple as: “thank you God, I’m sorry God, or please God.” Some people write prayers on paper, or draw pictures. Some people sit on the floor and meditate, while others have a stone or beads in their hand to help them pray.

As you read through the prayers in scripture, and hear the prayers of our community members, you will hear that not one prayer is the same. There is not just one way to pray. But there is one God, who longs to not only hear your prayers, but to speak into your life and into the community and answer our prayers. Prayer is not just about us talking to God, but it is also about taking time to listen to God speaking to us.

Why should we Pray? Because life can appear dark, cold, and hopeless from time to time, causing us to close ourselves off from God and one another. Let us come together despite our fears and rejoice in the hope God promises to give us, be patient with one another in suffering, and persevere together through the gift of prayer. Thank you to everyone who was willing to write a prayer for our community and encourage us all in faith.

Prayer: Gracious Lord, thank you for speaking into our lives. I’m sorry that we don’t always listen. Please teach us to listen as we pray together for the next 47 days and unite us as we hear the joys and concerns of our community. Amen.

 Pastor Melodi Hagen