Growing in Prayer

April 16, 2025

This summer’s chosen theme for ministry is prayer. But what do we mean by the word prayer? Certainly, prayer is the vehicle by which we bring to the Lord our personal requests, and petition Him for the needs of others. But there is much, much more to prayer than this.

Prayer is communion with our God. In prayer I bow all that I know of myself – my strengths, my weaknesses, my victories, my failures, my past and present and future – before all that I know of Him – His majesty, His holiness, His power and mercy, His justice and sovereignty. It is here, in this encounter with God’s presence, indeed, in this posture of surrender, that little by little, I am transformed. The English hymnwriter Frances Havergal understood this well:

Take my will and make it Thine
It shall be no longer mine
Take my heart – it is Thine own
It shall be Thy royal throne

What is it, then, that fuels transformational prayer? How can we grow in prayer this summer? Several things come to mind.

We can begin by looking at God’s creation. Living in the thick of urban sprawl as I do, a week spent on the scenic grounds of MBC has always served as balm for my city-weary soul. The towering pines, the morning mist hovering over the lake, the rhythmic slap of afternoon waves against the shoreline, the starry night canopy, the sight of deer silently weaving a path among forest trees – all of these, and so much more, direct our attention to the God who designed, fashioned, and lovingly sustains our world. This is a natural doorway into worshipful prayer.

MBC is also a community. All around us are brothers and sisters in Christ, family members with their own stories to share. Let’s take advantage of that. Whether it’s down at the beach, at the Saturday barbeque, or in the line-up for the dining room, let’s learn to ask each other Kingdom-oriented questions.  How did you first come to Christ? How have you seen God answer prayer? What has the Holy Spirit been impressing on your heart in recent days?  Testimonies of our Lord’s gracious activity in the lives of His people can increase our awareness of God’s faithfulness, kindness and providence, and spark prayers of thanksgiving and praise.

At MBC we are privileged to sit daily under the teaching of God’s Word. Here is another entry point to communion with God. We can move beyond “Praise the Lord – wasn’t that an amazing message!” to prayerful contemplation of that teaching. We can offer praise for some aspect of God’s character, we can intercede for the advancement of God’s purposes among His people and in the world, and we can ask for the Holy Spirit’s help in applying specific truths and principles to our daily lives. Let’s take our chapel notes and shape those insights into Scripture-fed prayer. 

Finally, and most importantly, let us turn the eyes of our hearts to the cross of Calvary. Believing the good news is not – indeed, it has never been – a matter of “one and done.”  To the contrary, every day we must refresh our hearts and minds with the Gospel. Every day, let us turn our eyes upon Jesus, and experience again the wonder and joy of the salvation He has, at such great cost, secured for us. A lingering look at the cross moved Swedish preacher Carl Boberg to humble worship, and it can do the same in our hearts: 

And when I think that God His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died, to take away my sin
Then sings my soul, my Saviour, God to Thee
How great Thou art! How great Thou art! 

Evelyn Pedersen and her family have been frequent summertime guests at MBC for more than three decades.