The Trick or Treat of Prayer

Word from Wiese

1 November 2023

“Trick or Treat!”

I hope all of you enjoyed a wonderful day yesterday, either trapsing through the neighborhood in costumes or handing out the treats of candy and avoiding the tricks.

For today’s WFW, a question: Do you ever feel like your prayer life is “trick or treat”?

Jesus modeled the value of prayer and actually gave us specific words to use! But I must confess, there are moments if I wonder if praying is just a trick. In many scenarios, no matter how hard I’ve prayed or no matter how many millions of others join together, it seems prayer has no effect. My friend still dies. The war still rages. Innocents still suffer. The disease still progresses.

But in the mystery of life, sometimes prayer turns out to be an amazing, sweet, satisfying treat. The treat of a fervent hope manifesting into reality, a transformation we believe of God’s intervention and grace. Such was the case this past Sunday. At our three Sunday morning services, our congregation collectively centered ourselves in prayer and asked the Lord for healing for David Beecher (our retired 25-year Minister of Music) who was in serious condition in Piedmont Newnan Hospital. Folks filled out cards with good wishes and prayers. Sunday School kids colored pictures and made cards of their own.

A few hours later, when I visited (representing all of you and COS) David and the Beecher family in the hospital I was stunned. After taking the elevator up to the floor, I couldn’t find the family in the waiting room. So, I got buzzed into ICU and found the family gathered around David who had awakened just seven minutes before for the first time in two days. It was one of the most joyful hospital visits of my ministry!

With his eyes open, I was able to show him all your cards. David’s eyes twinkled when he saw the COS kids’ colorful drawings, prayers, and good wishes. And then Pastor Miriam, the boys, David and I held hands and prayed once more. Quite a moment indeed! (On Sunday afternoon, perhaps you saw the special video-email update sent out).

Secular folks might argue it was just lucky timing. But for COS Jesus followers, we believe there is power in prayer. And that David’s eyes opening was the Lord’s graciousness in prayers answered . . . offered that morning in worship and throughout the weekend!

And yet . . . And yet we know that there are other patients in that hospital for whom good news feels absent, even after the prayers of loved ones. For them, the prayer process feels like a trick.

We can pick up this topic another time, but today I want to encourage your ongoing participation into Jesus’ direct invitation to “ask, seek, and knock” (Matt. 7.7-12) upon the doors of heaven in your prayer life, that God’s “will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

You might want to join me, once we get to heaven, in asking Jesus to explain why so many times prayer seems not to work. A trick. I get it. But in the meantime let’s keep on praying, doing it for at least a couple of reasons:

Jesus asks us to pray.We respect our Lord when we do what he asks.
Whether 5 seconds or 5 minutes of special time dedicated to being completely honest with the Lord is healthy and holy in ways we can’t even fully comprehend.
God promises to listen to our prayers.
As someone suggested, there are three possible answers to prayer:yes, no, and not yet. Maybe we need to trust God’s timing and schedule of response, even amid our impatience.
As Garth Brooks sang, “I thank God for unanswered prayers.”This sentiment doesn’t always hold true, but just about all of us can think of occasions in which it does.
It helps us relieve stress and receive strength.
Indeed, in prayer, WE are the ones who also experience change.We become more attuned and available to life. In prayer, God can nudge us to be catalysts in bringing alive our prayers. Prayer always helps us become better versions of ourselves.

In the meantime, if you would like to be added to the list of folks receiving updates on the health of David Beecher as Pastor Miriam shares it with us, please contact Laura Hawkins at [email protected].

Also, do you know you can pray for specific prayer requests offered by COS family and friends? They are provided each week in the Thursday congregational email blast. Also, you can offer your own prayers via our website at https://coslutheran.org/prayer/.

Finally, I thought you’d smile with this picture of some of the cards our children made for David Beecher. So many of you are wonderful with your own card ministries of encouragement. Way to go and keep it up!

Yes, it’s All Saints Day today. But we’ll lean into that this Sunday. Also, please remember that this Monday at 12.45, you can join us in the Conference Room for Sweet Memories. We’ll have a chance to share our memories of those family and friends who have been called home before us in the last couple of years. All are welcome.

Praying (according to God’s mysterious ways) with you,

Pastor Fritz