CARE ~ What to do while caring, which may lead to sharing

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Serving Prayer
… love in action meets conversation with God

Is it A or B?

• A: "Prayer is the art of doing nothing, while still appearing to care." (Geo. Carlin)
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• B: “Prayer is noticing God then people then following through on the invitation that stands before us.” (Geo. Elliot, Jr.)

Let's face it. The perception of the church-scene is colored by jargon that is chockfull of words like "prayer" and "evangelism." Church-ish people rarely agree on these terms, so just imagine the confusion of those watching from the outside. Wiseacre George Carlin (who recently passed) was a source of inspiration to point out the need to embrace the wisdom of skeptics. The challenge we face is to be relevant without our actions coming across as gimmicks like the Carlin character Cardinal Glick getting excited about "Buddy Jesus" improving the image of the church. There is a balance to be found when we blend authentic prayer and evangelism. Sometimes critics of the faith hold the mirror for us, revealing the weaknesses in our approach to loving others. As Carlin often declared, "Prayer is the art of doing nothing, while still appearing to care." This issue focuses on reversing that perception.

Serving prayer is the art of listening to God while actively caring for people.

There are many kinds of prayer. A quick scan of popular books shows that there are countless approaches to prayer. Unfortunately, most of these techniques seem passive. To understand prayer as merely a matter of being ‘Alone with God’ or ‘Locked away by myself’ is to miss the power of walking out that prayer.

Prayer that is always cloistered is an oxymoron.

Prayer requires action. As we respond to what God has called us to in any venture, especially loving others, it is imperative that we lean on God. Prayer without obedience is nonsensical. When we yield to a reliance upon God we begin to connect with God in prayer in a ‘new natural’ as we merely live out our lives in his presence.

How does this work?

Serving prayer is as natural as…

1. ‘Be there’

When we step into the path of availability, we step into the line of communication. The flow of God-talk becomes unmistakable when we are in the presence of those who are in desperation. Guess what? The entire planet is populated with people who are desperate. Each person is desperate at unique levels of desperation. As we walk through the open doors he provides, we engage in a new kind of dialog life with God that is amazing.

2. ‘Hear now’

Prayer and serving go together like ‘Peas and carrots’ as Forrest Gump says. You can’t have one without the other.

Serving encounters don't just stir the presence of God in the ones we notice. Often the very core of our being is impacted as we serve. In the course of bringing kindness to others, we begin to see with clarity for the first time in life! We see what we were previously blind to. (That is what contrasts the sheep from the goats as Jesus spoke of in Matt. 25 – the ability to notice and serve or ignore and pass on. All the ‘Livestock’ are in the same barnyard gathering.)

Prayer is always marbled with serving. To separate them is to disconnect any hope of effective serving

3. ‘Do hear’

Evangelism that is not increasingly aware of the spiritual nature of being outwardly focused is not maturing

Express ‘Availability prayers’ as the notion strikes you. ‘Here I am God – use me!’

Confess your inability to accomplish anything lasting, strong, worthwhile apart from him – frequently!

Access the opportunities he is opening for you today – maybe right now. These will come as you are slightly open. Flex and more encounters, more stories will follow.

For all of Jesus’ followers the best is always yet to be!

As we serve, we will notice the presence of God in the midst of our serving. Why so? Not because of any cleverness on our part. God’s kinetic, ministering presence tends to hover where people in need are met by those that seek to serve that need. Granted, as the servers we cannot make any of this just happen. I have often seen this dynamic when God’s people avail themselves to him as open hearts and hands with the simple prayer attitude of ‘Show me the pain around here, God.’ As John Wimber was fond of saying, "I am just spare change in God's pocket. He can spend me however he chooses."

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Best-selling author and speaker Steve Sjogren is not only the publisher of Serve!, he is also the senior leader of a cluster of churches launching on the east side of Tampa, FL, CoastlandTampa. For more information and resources from Steve Sjogren, visit his online resource site: PrettyGoodBooks.com.

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