Prayer

The sun had not yet risen and the inside of our tent was lined with frost as my brother and I crawled from the warmth of our sleeping bags into a cold fall morning. We were high in the Rocky Mountains near the top of the Continental Divide and it was our first camping trip with our father. We had been reassured the night before that we would be greeted that morning with scrambled eggs and bacon and more importantly to us, with steaming mugs of hot chocolate. But as we stood shivering outside the tent the only greeting was from the sound of the wind blowing through the pines. The stars were still out and the campfire from the previous night was only a cold circle of stones and ash. My brother and I looked at each other, each asking in silence - where’s Mom?

Then we watched a curious thing. Our father walked over and kneeled down beside the dark coals, took a deep breath and blew, producing a small cloud of rising ash. Then he took another deep breath and blew, producing another small cloud. Then he looked back at his bewildered sons and smiled, took a huge long breath, turned and blew again. This time the entire circle of lifeless embers erupted into flame. The flame was even and blue and uniform over the entire bed of coals. As my brother and I crouched beside the miracle fire and warmed our hands, our father laid on more wood and then a frying pan. Soon we were filled with the joy only the smell of bacon and eggs in the wilderness can bring. We had our promised breakfast and our promised hot chocolate and soon found ourselves scrambling off into the morning sun with our fishing poles, breathless with expectation for our first lesson in the mysteries of trout.

The apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” Paul is talking here about the gift of the Holy Spirit and its specific qualities of power, love and self discipline. Whenever I think on this verse I seem to always recall that childhood memory of the fanned embers bursting into life and light. It instills an image of what the scripture is calling me to; a life ignited and burning. And it also challenges and calls on me, to fan the flame.

How do we do this? We do it by what the Westminster Confession calls the ordinary means of grace. We do it by studying and meditating on the Holy Scripture and by hearing it preached and unfolded for us on Sundays. We do it by worship and the continued fellowship with other believers. We do it through the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Table. We do it by confession. And of course, we do it through prayer.

This is why I am seeking to build a ministry of prayer within our church. I am seeking to gather a core of believers within our community, devoted with one mind to the ongoing exercise and practice of prayer. My hope is for a ministry that continually offers up prayer for our pastor, the elders, the deacons, the fellowship groups, the worship team and all the various ministries of this church; a ministry that prays for the needs of our community; a ministry that may be called on by anyone in seasons of suffering and challenge. I am seeking out others to join me in fanning the flame through the discipline of prayer; that the life and actions of our church may be continually raised up before the Father - seeking His grace, His vision and wisdom, His power and love.

If you are someone who loves to pray; if you want to learn more about prayer; if you are looking for a way to serve that is more or less “behind the scenes” please prayerfully consider being a part of this most necessary work.

Peace
Steve