Prayer and action belong together

To pray is to enter into a relationship with God.

“For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.” Matthew 18:20

Jesus words in Matthew’s gospel tell us that prayer is about relationship. Relationship with others and a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Ken Leech, the theologian and priest who began the Centrepoint charity in London for young homeless people, says:

“At heart prayer is a process of self giving and of being set free from isolation. To pray is to enter into relationship with God and to be transformed …many people see prayer merely as asking God for things, pleading with a Remote Being…”

But Christian prayer, prayer in Christ, is about a relationship.

“Our path is exploration into God, which involves a real transformation….they can be no personal change which does not also carry with it the demand for radical change in society”.¹

To be in relationship with God, in which we allow God to transform us, and in which we share in God’s life, is to share, with God, the task of transforming God’s world.

Prayer is food for the journey as it sustains us; it is allows us to rest in God, to aid our recovery and strength; it inspires us to continue in our mission in renewal of our minds; and it reminds us of our place, part of the people of God, working together for the kingdom of heaven on earth, as we open ourselves up, ready to hear and to do God’s will.

Prayer is not the same as wishing for things. I remember a very challenging sermon once from a Catholic lay woman who forcefully said - “there is no point at all praying for a situation if you have no intention at all to do anything about it. Prayer says – tell me how I can make this happen”

We read something similar in scripture where, in the letter of James the writer talk about faith and action going together, says:

“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food, , if one of you says, go, I wish you well, keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about it, what good is it?” “Faith if it is not accompanied by action is dead” James 2: 15-17

Prayer which allows God to reshape and remake us will also inspire us to acts of justice and compassion. It is not about changing the mind of God; but opening ourselves to let God work in us.

Social action needs to be accompanied with prayer

At the same time, all that we do needs to be accompanied by prayer – lighting a candle before that difficult conversation; short prayers together before opening up the food bank; holding people in our silent prayers as we give out tea and coffee at our Place of Welcome.

The Growing Good report from CUF and THEOS which creating our Growing Good resources is clear that intentionality is important in our social action. Christian social action is relational - about building relationships of grace; incarnational - about building community , being God’s people together; and spiritual, an outworking of our faith in God with whom we share this transforming mission.²

In practicing the presence of God as we offer our daily lives we share in that intentionality, so that all that we do, may be part of bringing in the kingdom, and sharing in the life of God.

Praying as part of God’s people

We can also hold other people in prayer as they go about their daily work, sharing in God’s mission.

For in prayer we are not only in relationship with God, but all God’s people, in solidarity and in community. For some Christians being aware of being part of the whole church living and departed, is very important, to live as a member of the ‘communion of saints’, with whom we share our mission of transforming lives and communities. For in prayer we also share our lives with the whole church as we pray to “Our Father”, saying “may your kingdom come”.

To quote Ken Leech again, intercession for others is “opening up all human life to the grace and direction of God”…it is “our cooperation with God in the work of reconciliation…so that we see the needs of those for whom we pray in the light of a wider vision…to look at reality with the eyes of God”³ . In prayer we can learn to see as God sees , with eyes of love and compassion.

However, and how often, we pray, prayer is a vital component of our life with God and with the whole church.

¹ Extract from True Prayer by Ken Leech, pps 6-14. Published in 1980.

² (Growing Good: Growth, Social Action and Discipleship in the Church of England 2020, Hannah Rich, 202 pp. 36 – 37.)

³(op.cit. p.25)