Pray Always

Pray Always

“I’d like to pray for you,” she said.  She’s been coming to Manna House as a guest for a few weeks now, this middle aged, tall, African American woman.  I don’t know her story.  I do know she’s a bit difficult sometimes; prickly in her personality and not happy when we don’t have exactly what she wants.  

“Tell me what I should say,” she continued, “Tell me what you want me to pray for; for you.”

I’ve had guests ask me to pray for them, many times.  And guests have prayed for me before.  I remember particularly well when guests at Manna House prayed for me when my Dad died.  But this morning I was fine, physically and emotionally, and even spiritually, or at least I thought I was.

“You just look like you’re in need of prayer,” she observed, “So tell me what I should pray for you.”

“Ok,” I said, “Pray this way.  Gracious God…”

Before I could get the next word out, she started to repeat my words, “Gracious God.”  She was already beginning to pray, exactly as I would say.  

“Please help Peter.”  “Please help Peter.”

“To be.”  “To be.”

“A better disciple.”  “A better disciple.”

“Of Jesus.”  “Of Jesus.”

“Amen.”  “Amen.”

“I’ll keep praying for you,” she said as she walked away.

I’m not sure where her desire to pray for me came from, or where my words for this prayer came from.  But I am sure that she was right; I did need her to pray for me and I did need prayer.  And I am thankful that she stopped me in the middle of the morning to make sure I recognized my need for prayer.

There’s no offering of Christian hospitality without prayer, without first and always experiencing God’s hospitality in prayer.  How can I be gracious in welcome if I don’t have God’s gracious welcome?  How can I be loving if I do not know love, from others and in God?

Jesus told his disciples the parable of the persistent widow, which Luke says carries the message that we are to “pray always” (Luke 18:1).

Paul wrote, “Pray in the Spirit at all times, in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the members of the church” (Ephesians 6:18).

St. John Baptist de La Salle often said, “The work is Yours” referring to God, and he urged those in his religious community, who began as teachers of street children, to be zealous in prayer.  Lasallians today always begin prayer with “Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.”

St. Benedict built prayer into the hours of the day, a schedule of prayer so that the monks of a Benedictine monastery would constantly be reminded of the presence of God.  Hospitality was also part of the Rule of St. Benedict, “Any guest who happens to arrive at the monastery should be received just as we would receive Christ himself, because he promised that on the last day he will say: I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

At Manna House we have a schedule of prayer.  Volunteers pray together before we open.  Then we pray with the guests as we open (the guests themselves insisted on prayer but it remains voluntary).  And we pray again after we have finished the work of the day.

To the question of, “What do you all need at Manna House?” Kathleen often responds with, “Prayer.  We first of all need your prayers.”

Kathleen is right, just as the guest was right who said to me this morning, “I’d like to pray for you… You just look like you’re in need of prayer.”