In my Prayers

I blog about prayer often. It is, after all, a central part of our Orthodox life. It is also one of the most underutilized spiritual tools in our Orthodox tool kit. Even when we pray, we rarely give our prayers the attention they deserve. Worse, we rarely give others the attention of our prayers.

One of the expressions I have come to dislike is, “You are in my prayers.” What does it mean to be in our prayers? More importantly, are others actually in our prayers, or do we just lead them to believe we are praying for them? Here is how Saint Paul remember Timothy in his prayers.

Timothy, my son, I thank God whom I serve with a clear conscience, as did my fathers, when I remember you constantly in my prayers.  As I remember your tears, I long night and day to see you, that I may be filled with joy.  I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you.  Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control.

2^nd Timothy 1.3-8

Saint Timothy is commemorated today by the Church as one of the 70 Apostles, and first Bishop of Ephesus. He was no stranger to Saint Paul, as he followed his throughout his missionary journeys. He was not only a leader organizationally speaking. He was a leader of faith.

Here is my point today. When we come upon leaders of the Church, we must pray for them fervently. It isn’t enough to just acknowledge their leadership. We must have them constantly in our prayers to God, but that means we must be constantly praying.

It is more common to criticize our spiritual leaders than to pray for them. A quick glance around so-called Orthodox social media, you will find a constant supply of criticism, slander even, of Orthodox clergy.

Today, instead of criticizing them. I challenge you to pray for them without including your personal agenda in your prayers. When someone is ‘in your prayers’ that doesn’t mean, you are trying to manipulate them. Spend today praying for their leadership and God’s grace.

Here is how the Church has already taught you to pray for our leaders. In the Divine Liturgy we pray for our local bishop with the words, “Rightly teaching the word of your truth.” The prayer does not include what WE think is right. Only that we pray THEY are teaching rightly.

Until we ‘get over ourselves’ and realize we are not the dogma police, but faithful members of the Church, we will never genuinely have anyone in our prayers. Whether we are praying for our bishops, our spiritual father, or members of the parish council, we must pray for God’s grace.

If you want to be Orthodox, learn to pray for God’s grace rather than your will. Christ taught us to pray, “Thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.” Pray fervently that our leaders rightly teach word of God’s truth. Then follow up our prayer by being faithful members of the Church.

I ask for one more prayer. Please keep our ministry in your prayers with the same fervor. Pray that Be Transfigured Ministries is a source of God’s grace rather than my agenda. Pray our ministry leads others to Live A New Life In Christ. Thank you for your prayers.