PRAYER IN WORSHIP
Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. – James 5:14-15
Last Sunday, we talked about prayer as we considered the many elements of our worship services and how we can both renew them and be renewed by them in our faith lives. So often, prayer leaves people confused or feeling guilty. I regularly hear from people who aren’t sure how they’re supposed to pray or convinced that all there is to know about prayer is that they don’t pray enough.
One of the easiest points of entry for prayer is just as our reading from James said on Sunday: praying for each other when we’re sick. This is the most clear, straight-forward way to begin in our prayers. It’s what we do in worship each Sunday when we list the names of those from this congregation who need God’s special, healing care. It’s what we say to each other when we find out someone has received a tough diagnosis or is enduring a difficult illness: I’ll pray for you. It’s the number one request from people going through a hard time: prayers, please.
Our prayers in worship are valid, powerful, and effective. It is one of my great joys in my pastoral work to lead the congregation in prayer for the sake of God’s world and all in need. I hope those communal prayers every week draw you into a wider life of prayer. I absolve you of your guilt around how much you do (or do not) pray. All you need to know is that your prayer is effective, God has promised to hear us, and you are always welcome to pray.
Start with those who are sick. Be bold to pray as specifically as you wish. Pray for their families, their medical professionals, and those who care for them. Whether or not what you pray for will happen exactly as you ask isn’t the point. The point is that we’re invited to pray for others – and to pray boldly, with confidence that God hears – and we don’t have to hold back. And then we wait. We wait to see what God is up to. We wait to see how we might be called to further action. We wait to understand how we should pray the next time. The process continues: pray, listen, watch, wait, act, pray, over and over and over.
Begin with those who need healing. Move to places or situations that need healing. Try praying for needs around justice, care, forgiveness, and hope. Let your prayer life grow, guided by your community and your trust in a God who not only hear but acts.
Let us pray:
Hear us as we pray, God. Move our hearts and minds to devoted prayer for the sake of this world you love. Be especially with those who need your healing today. We know you are a God who cares about our bodies, because you made them, so we entrust all these people to you. Amen.