Day 21 - Pray to God and Reach Out to the World

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:6

Our personal and private prayers should compel us to reach out to the world. At the end of our season of prayer, what is the secret to prayer? According to Jesus, it is simply to do it. Go into your room, shut the door, and pray. Do not make a show or pretense of your prayers. Be sure they are more than duty. Pray as honestly and authentically as you can. Know that God sees you when you pray, and he will reward you.

This is a remarkable promise from the lips of Jesus. It should give us confidence and great encouragement for our prayers.

Though prayer is inward, spiritual, and private, it always moves us outward. Our call from God is not merely for privilege but service. When Jesus called the twelve apostles, he did so not only so they might be with him, but also to be sent out in ministry. Our prayers and the reading of scripture enable us to be with Jesus. The impulse that comes from prayer sends us out into the world.

Jesus said that God rewards those who pray. How does God do so? Jesus does not specify. We might suspect this is because God has many avenues through which to bless his faithful people. God might reward you with a spiritual gift that you never expected. Or with some new friendship that encourages your faith. Or with a nurturing Christian book that comes to your attention. Or with good health. Or with enriching family time. Or with healing for some relationship. He might reward you with a greater sense of his presence in your prayers, labors, and worship.

One way God rewards us is to call us to his service. We might wonder what God is calling us to do. How do I find God’s calling for me at this point in my life? One way to find God’s call is to look for opportunities to serve. If we look around, we will realize that God gives us ample opportunities. If we are willing to serve, we will have many open doors in front of us.

The church building has walls, but the church does not. The call of the church is to ministry, to service, and to take the gospel into the world. As we conclude our season of prayer, we should ask: How do my prayers send me into the world? Where can I do some good? Whose life can I make better? What gift do I have to offer? What relationship can I strengthen? What healing can I bring to someone else?

We have prayed for many things during this season of prayer: ourselves, our family, our church, our community, the nation, and the world. We have prayed for overseas workers and that God would send out laborers into his fields. As we conclude, let this season of prayer renew not only our confidence in God, but also our commitment to his work. The church is the visible body of Christ in the world. People see Jesus through us. Let us be his hands and feet. Let people see Christ in us. It is not farfetched to imagine they might do so. Christ lives in us, and people can see his image in how we live, what we say, and the calm presence we bring to life.

We close with the benediction that God gave to the priests in the Old Testament with which to bless the people. May this be true for us and may God’s rich blessing rest on us and our world. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).