Day 13 - Monday, March 13
The Sacrifice of Fervent Prayer
Scripture: Matthew 6:5-8; James 5: 13-18
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

Poetry:
"The Gift of Tears"
by Scott Cairns
Like the tears of an infant, weeping
even as it laughs (see he rejoices!
spiritually expressing his deepest joy
even there on his tear-streaming face!), such
is how the gift arrives, springing forth
without any effort of our own. May
our Lord grant each of us such tears!

For us beginners in prayer, frail and
inexperienced, these tears become
our greatest consolation; and note,
as this consolation by grace is given us,
the tears themselves increase, and so on.

With tears, the struggle with the enemy
turns easier, the temptations are quenched,
and nous is fed--delighting in prayer--
by a surfeit of nourishing food.

HOLY HOSPITALITY
To sacrifice is to count the cost. In prayer, this may look like trading public displays of bravado for private encounters of worship. Oftentimes, when we hear public prayers, they are tempered and composed; eloquent and sublime. But when we enter into the private chambers of our dwelling place as James suggests in today’s passage, we may feel more at liberty to express our true thoughts and emotions in raw form--straight from the heart.

It is within these walls that we can create a “house of prayer” as Eddie James sings. Our physical home lends itself to becoming a spiritual home--in our rooms and in our hearts: “Make me a house of prayer…may the fire of my altar never burn out.” This is a beautiful picture of holy hospitality where we continually welcome and nourish the flame of the Holy Spirit through prayer.  And when that flame is fueled with fervor, it begins to spread like wildfire. Praying at all times and in all seasons, we begin to cultivate a deeper heart of unfettered zeal and relentless reliance on the Lord.

But that fervor does not always have to uphold the magnitude of a tidal flame. It can also aptly reside in the form of a flickering candle or be doused with necessary tears. Just as Scott Cairns writes in his poem The Gift of Tears, there is exquisite beauty and relief in unleashing the “dam of tears” in prayer. There is great comfort in being met by Christ in our true condition. Eyes brimming with water, we are able to experience Living Water overflowing into our lives. It is truly a gift to the one who cries out and the One who receives those tears.

I am currently in a season of career transition and I do not know exactly where the road will lead me next. But this season of mystery has been a priceless gift because it has challenged me to lean on God more and to fuel my faith through fervent prayer. It is much easier to attribute praise to God when we can retroactively look in the rearview mirror, having reached a point of provision, clarity, and stability. That call to worship is much more challenging when we are in the midst of murky waters and tough terrain. But that is where our faith can be most alive and fervent.

James talks about the results of earnest prayer. In Elijah’s story, there was no rain to be seen for three years. But it is encouraging to know that when Elijah prayed fervently, the “heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.”(James 5:18) Such fervent prayer produces fertile ground for the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, etc.) to grow. Through years of famine and years of plenty, in all circumstances, we are called to pray ceaselessly. (1 Thess 5:17)

Oftentimes, when we think of God answering prayer, we envision him granting us something tangible. But the greatest answer to prayer may not be something that we can hold onto with our hands, but within our hearts -- a peace that surpasses understanding; a faith that withstands any circumstance.

The following prayer was inspired by the three vignettes in Giancarlo Vitali’s Praised artwork:

PRAYER
Lord, thank you that we can come to you as we are. When our heads are throbbing with topsy-turvy thoughts and we cradle them in our hands, we are desperate for you. We ask that you still the turbulent waves of our minds and speak peace into our lives. May we be anchored in your unwavering love. 

When we are struck with grief or guilt and all we can do is cover our faces, remind us that you blanket us with security and forgiveness. In our broken fragility, we no longer need to hide or be ashamed. Thank you that we can find our true comfort in you. 

When our hearts feel weighed down by anxiety, we lift up our petitions to you with hands clasped and fingers interlocked. Similarly, remind us that we are in your grasp and intertwined with you. Because of our union with you, we are never alone. 

Thank you that we can, “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Amen.  

Grace Lee 
Alumna, Institute of Spiritual Formation