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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

‘Prayer that acts’ turns focus outwardly



 (The Spokesman-Review)
Paul Graves The Spokesman-Review

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred … let me sow love.”

And so begins one of the most powerful prayers of action ever written. It comes from the heart of St. Francis. For me, it is perhaps the second-most powerful prayer from the Christian tradition, second only to “The Lord’s Prayer.”

Today’s reflection concludes my brief series on prayer. But I hope it doesn’t stop your own inner journey with prayer.

We have looked at how the function of prayer should determine its form, not vice-versa. We have touched on prayer that listens, prayer that speaks, and today we visit the prayer that acts.

What I mean by the “prayer that acts” is the prayer that moves us inwardly and outwardly to do something tangible about the faith we profess.

Prayers that listen are foundational in our prayer discipline, for they quiet us so God can enter our souls in life-affirming ways.

Prayers that speak are diverse in style and content. But at their best, they all put verbal form to the inner yearnings of our hearts for renewable relationships with God, with other people, with the world, with ourselves.

Prayers that act also are wonderfully diverse. Their focus may initially be upon our relationship with God. But I suspect the most powerful ones turn the focus outwardly, toward other people and toward the world.

“Where there is injury … pardon. Where there is doubt … faith. Where there is darkness … light. Where there is sadness … joy.”

Do you see the plea? A plea for God to strengthen our hearts, encourage us, so we might reach out to someone else.

St. Francis knew our prayers could quickly turn to dust and blow away if they were merely spiritual navel-gazing (my term, not his). He knew if our prayers focused only on being right with God without looking at how we relate to our neighbors, those prayers would turn stale in our mouths and we would have to spit them onto the ground.

“Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled…as to console. To be understood…as to understand. To be loved…as to love.”

And then he turns our conventional wisdom on its head:

“For it is in giving…that we receive, it is in pardoning, that we are pardoned, it is in dying … that we are born to eternal life.”

What an incredible prayer of spirit-action!

Then again, this prayer comes from the heart and the head of an incredible man who intimately knew the God of Radical Hospitality. This prayer comes from a man who knew action prayers were a natural extension of intimate prayers that listen to God.

This prayer comes from a man whose love of all things and people around him prompted him to say, “Preach the Gospel … and if necessary, use words.”

Prayers that move us to act out the Gospel in every ordinary, daily routine and relationship are the expected outgrowth of an ever-growing inner relationship with God.

Try an experiment with me during the rest of Lent and Holy Week. From now through Easter, begin your day with St. Francis’ Prayer. Let it reshape your day.

Use this prayer, and the routines you do again and again will be wrapped in a redemptive redundancy that lifts them to the level of holy work.

Use this prayer, and the relationships with your co-workers, your family members, the people you meet every day and the ones you meet just occasionally could forever be changed. For the better.

We have just passed St. Patrick’s Day, when we may claim a wee bit of Irish in us. But it isn’t just the green beer or clothing that identifies us as Irish. What could be more transforming for us is to embrace a wee bit of Celtic spirituality, a touch of the wonderful understanding that all of life is interconnected in ways we may never imagine.

So I conclude with a (gulp!) Protestant version of the traditional Irish blessing. This adaptation comes from a United Methodist clergy colleague of German heritage.

I may have shared this before. If so, please consider it a gentle reminder of God’s active presence in your life so you might bring God into someone else’s life:

“Whether your road be uphill or down, know the Lord is acquainted with your going out and your coming in. Whether the wind is at your back or in your face, know that it is the Lord who made the wind.

“Whether your days be dark as night or your nights be bright as day, know that dark and the light are alike to God. And even now, God holds you in the hollow of His hand. So live, work, play and love in peace. Amen.”