An hour can pass in a flash if am watching an interesting
programme; reading, doing a jigsaw maybe, or even chatting on the phone, but
ask me to pray for an hour? That is a different story.
In our fellowship we begin the year with a special week of
prayer. Monday we met as ladies, Tuesday was our usual church prayer meeting.
Wednesday we were asked to meet up with a friend. Thursday was a special
service of prayer and praise, but Friday
over Saturday was supposed to be a very special 24 hours of continuous prayer,
when we individually signed up to pray for a specific hour.
Some wonderful people signed up for an hour in the small
hours of the morning, but I thought I was choosing an easy option. 6 o’clock in
the morning. I am usually awake before then.
Then of course, my habits changed. Now I was afraid of over
sleeping, and also daunted by the prospect of a lonely hour just praying.
It is many years ago that we were challenged to commit to
an hour of prayer each day. I felt as if I was the only one among the thousand
or so present, who did not stand; but I was not prepared to put myself under
condemnation if I failed, even one day. I knew that this is no easy commitment.
I explained to my heavenly Father that I really wanted to
spend an hour with him, but I could only do it if he helped me.
After that I found a quiet hour passed easily, filled with
my daily Bible Study and my ‘wave offerings’ as I call the various prayer letters and photos which
remind me of special needs. Sometimes I felt the Holy Spirit coming on me in
special times of intercession, but I never had that experience when I found
that I had forgotten time. I had a friend who would sit all morning in the
presence of the Lord until a neighbour might come to remind her it was time to
fetch her son from school. Somehow I was always conscious of the clock.
I asked the Lord, ‘How is it I never get lost in prayer in
this way?’ As my heavenly Father, he answered me – ‘Because I have called you
to write.’ His answer was such a comfort to me. I have joy in my writing, even
as I do in prayer.
But still I was anxious about this special hour, for it was
not for Bible Study, or even my ‘Wave Offerings’ but for special intercession
for our local church, community and reaching out to our nation.
Five am came and I seemed to have already been awake for
ages. I might as well get up. Showered and dressed I staggered about, in no way
feeling fit for this special hour.
‘I’ll have to tell our pastor that this is too much for
me.’ I grumbled.
Of course it was too much for me. Prayer is a battle field.
I remember C.S. Lewis wrote in his book on prayer, ‘Letters to Malcolm,’ something
to the effect that however much blessing we have had the last time, that there
is always a battle to come to God because we are engaging in spiritual warfare.
Yes! I think we all had a special blessing as we filled our
own hour. The Holy Spirit was there. The person filling the previous hour had
prayed for me and I was blessed and
amazed at how swiftly the hour passed. Yes, sweet hour of prayer indeed, but
not because we are good pray-ers, but because the Comforter had come to enable
and pray through us.
