Ten Days of Prayer

Is it not like a pastor to ask...do you pray?

How do you pray?

What do you pray for?

It might sound a bit off, but many people believe they just do not have time to pray. Others think no one is listening. Still others are embarrassed to admit - or God forbid...be seen praying!

So when I invite you into the TEN DAYS OF PRAYER I hope you might consider accepting.

InterFaith Leaders for Neighborhood Ministries and I are hoping you could join us in prayer from September 8 through September 17 to focus the power of prayer on bringing about a safer, more peaceful city of Wilmington and the surrounding communities.

Could you imagine what it would be like for our community if we, as a group prayed, and then acted!?

Thomas Keating, a monk, sees prayer as an invitation to love. He writes “prayer addresses the human condition exactly where it is...prayer heals the emotional wounds of a lifetime.”

Can we pray for healing?

The Right Rev. Frank Griswold, former presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, says that “God is profoundly present in the mystery of time, as season gives way to season and we are shaped by the daily occurrences of life.”

Can we trust that God is profoundly present when we pray for our city?

The namesake of our denomination Martin Luther, and the one that put into motion a church constantly reforming 500 years ago says “grant that I may not pray alone with the mouth; help me that I may pray from the depths of my heart.”

Can we know the depths of our heart and its unyielding desire and yearning for peace?

I hope and pray that we are able to answer yes to each of these questions...to answer yes to a God that calls us to be people of peace and reconciliation. To not just pray “it” but live “it” in our own city and in our homes. God knows our hearts better than we do, and yet we know our own desires for peace. Our hearts are already praying.

How do you pray? There is no real formula, just a personal one on one relationship with the Holy. I pray as though I am having a conversation...I prefer to do it walking among the beautiful and surprising creation of God.

I wonder, could we as a church dedicate just 10 days to praying for our city? I wonder, after 10 days...will we stop or will we continue holding up our city and praying for peace?

God be with you.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Jason