Archbishop William Temple said: “Your religion is your solitude.” In other words, where your thoughts go in your silence determine your religion, your chief objects of devotion and joy. Do our thought wander to God or to self, to entertainment or to community, to hobbies or to service? Prayer is also an indicator of our religion. Where do our prayers wander? To self or to others? To our wants or to others’ needs? How are we praying? For whom are we praying? Three brief thoughts on prayer and mission:
- Conversation with God leads to conversation with man. If we really listen to God in prayer, we will hear him compelling us to talk to others about Him. If we adore him, we will draw others into that adoration.
- Missional prayer results in conversational mission. Praying for others will lead to conversing with others about the gospel, how it addresses all of life from anger to reconciliation with God. The more we ask God to bless, change, encourage, renew, and comfort others, the more we will find ourselves, blessing, encouraging, and comforting others with the hope of the Gospel.
- Vertical Christianity produces horizontal Christianity. If God is truly first, man will be a close second. Our faith in Christ will produce good works for others. Entertainment, hobbies, and the internet will not come before people. People will be second to God in our lives and in our prayers.
