Try Love and Prayer

To keep His followers from falling into a man-managed and self-directed service-trap, God points to a higher way, a better way--the way of love and prayer.

Frequently these twin spiritual dynamics are joined together in the same context. An excellent example of this is found in the apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians: “pray in the Spirit", "keep on praying"; "Pray . . . for me"; “Pray that I may declare [the gospel] as I should." "Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love" (6: 18-20; 23-24). This concerned early church leader, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, exhorts these early believers to "pray . . . keep on praying . . . pray . . . pray . . . love . . . love . . . love."

Prayer is the highest expression of Christian love; love is prayer's motivation. The more we love the more we pray. The more we pray the more we love. The one fuels the other. Where there is little love there is little prayer. Where there is little prayer there is little love.

When we fail to love and pray as we ought, we look to other means and avenues to further the work of God; we accept ill-conceived substitutes. Saul's armor becomes the latest fad and promotion. Conventions and seminars are expertly planned and advertised by the religious technicians. The cry of eureka is widely announced. Man at last has the answer to the church's problems!

I wonder. Was it not divine love which caused the founding apostles to announce to all who cared to listen: "We will give our attention to prayer" (Acts 6:41)? Was it not a praying apostle who wrote, "the greatest . . . is love" (1 Cor. 13: 13)? Could it be that God is saying to the church today: "Back to the basics; let my servants return to what made the church great in other times; give yourselves to prayer and love"?

There are two stories which come to mind. The first story goes something like this: Years ago a missionary from America was laboring in the country of India. After being on the field for some time, problems began to arise between the missionary and his fellow workers. The situation eventually became so serious that the district supervisor was called in to help resolve the conflict.

After the supervisor had listened to all the parties involved in the tensions, he suggested to the missionary that the two of them go for a walk. They walked from behind the missionary's house down an overgrown path. And then they stopped. The supervisor turned to the missionary with these words of counsel: "You know, Brother, as long as your predecessor was here, this path was free of grass. That was his prayer path that led to his place of prayer. I recommend that you start wearing these weeds down and then watch what God will do."

The next story finds its setting on the continent of Africa. In this instance, there arose some severe relational problems between the missionary and the native converts. Several meetings were held in order to arrive at some resolution. Nothing worked; the division grew wider. Finally a godly and wise field superintendent was brought in to try and settle the dispute. The Africans were adamant; they insisted on the missionary's leaving.

Then the superintendent took the missionary aside, telling him of the natives' wishes. The man was crestfallen; he had prepared much of his life to go to Africa; thousands of dollars had been invested by others; he didn't want to go home. After hearing his brother's plea, the superintendent offered this solution: "If you wish to stay and continue laboring with these people, and you want to gain their hearts, I'm going to require that you read the love chapter of the Bible [1 Cor. 13] every day for the next six months on your knees." It worked. He stayed and gained the hearts of the people.

Yes, "Sometimes our greatest problem is trying to do God's work in our own strength” Then we come to the end of our self and we hear the Spirit whisper: "Try love and prayer."