Is prayer that
important? Of course, the
answer is yes! But, does the amount of time we spend in prayer reflect our
attitude about its importance? In other words, can we really say that we
believe prayer is important if we don’t spend a lot of time doing it? One of
the things I personally enjoy doing throughout the summer is working in the
yard. I think that having a nice yard is “important.” Therefore, I spend a lot
of time manicuring mine. Would anyone believe I think a nice yard is important
if I never mowed or made an attempt to cultivate good grass? This is a silly
illustration to point out that we put time into what we truly value and find
important.
At Northland, we
agree with you that prayer is important. We not only emphasize this on a
theological level but a practical one as well. This is why the “Day of Prayer”
started. The Day of Prayer is a day set aside for the Northland community (faculty,
staff, and students) to stop work and classes in order to spend a day before
the throne of grace.
This semester, the
Day of Prayer fell on April 1. The specific emphasis in prayer was the
persecuted church. The Northland community spent most of the day praying for
countries where persecution is severe and praying for individuals who have been
persecuted within the last two weeks. The day ended with a focus on the Cross
of Christ and what it means to obey His words and “deny himself and take up his
cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34).
The main goal of
this focus was to realize that all believers are one in Christ. There is not
the “western” church and the “persecuted” church. If this is the case, what is
the appropriate response to persecution from the churches in the West?
A few applications that were made on the Day
of Prayer are as follows:
- As our brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to regularly
intercede for those being persecuted.
- The words of the New Testament are clear—to be a follower of Jesus
Christ involves persecution. This persecution might come in different
forms, but it will come nonetheless.
- With the view in mind that the body of Christ is unified worldwide
(as the Body of Christ), it is apparent that persecution has already come to churches in the
West. It has affected our co-laborers in the ministry of the Gospel.
- As a whole, churches in the West need a new mentality in relation
to persecution. It is inspiring to hear stories of others who have faced
persecution. It is another thing entirely to initiate action that might
cause us to be persecuted. Are we willing to be persecuted? Are we willing
for our friends and family members to suffer for the sake of the Gospel?
This semester’s Day
of Prayer was more direct than any other. It blatantly challenged the Northland
community to count the cost of being a follower of Jesus Christ. If we’re
honest, most of us understand more about manicured lawns than we do about
persecution.
To discuss this
article, e-mail the director of the Center for Global Opportunities, Neal Cushman.