Mitch Everingham is a pastor at Anchor Church in Sydney and the author of Finding Peace through Prayer: Seven practices for praying in hard times.
Artwork by Mish Graham
I received an alert on my phone: Global hunger predicted to rise.
It’s been a difficult week. A close friend has passed away suddenly from brain cancer, my two-year-old son has been sick, and the pastoral needs I see around me feel like they’re at an all-time high.
As I stare at the suffering and difficulty in our world—in my world—it can feel overwhelming. And all I want to do is fix it. To take it all away. To make every wrong, right.
Yet the reality is, I often can’t. Amid all the need and heartache in our world, how can we respond in love when we might feel powerless to bring immediate change?
This Lenten season, part of the invitation of Jesus is to embody love for others by praying for them. By casting our anxieties and worries upon Jesus, knowing that he cares (1 Pet 5:7).
The truth is, prayer is often the most powerful means by which we love others. How could that possibly be true? When we pray, we bring the needs of another before the One who is the definition, source and origin of love himself, and who has the power to do all things (1 John 4:8).
Prayer is a simple yet potent act of sacrificial love, because it recognises our insufficiencies and the all-sufficiency of Jesus to do what only he can do. As we remember the One who tangibly showed his love among us during Lent, may we be people who show our love for others by earnestly bringing them before the God of love in prayer.
v 1-3: Imagine what the passage might say about prayer: “If I pray _____, but have not love, I ____ .” How can we guard against ‘loveless’ prayers?
v 4-7: Do your prayers tend to reflect the characteristics of love outlined in these verses? How is the Spirit inviting you to become more loving in your prayer life?
v 8-13: In what ways does prayer help us to walk faithfully as followers of Jesus when we only see part of the picture?
What connections do you notice between Jesus’ teaching on prayer in Matthew 6:5-13, and 1 Corinthians 13?
How does God’s love – towards us, and in/through us – change what or who we pray for?
In your experience, have you found it easier to take action and ‘do’ justice or to pray for justice? How do you see Jesus modelling a balanced approach to prayer and justice? What is God inviting you to do or change in response?
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love’s sake. Amen.
– From the Book of Common Prayer
Tearfund’s prayer guides offer creative and meaningful ways to pray for global challenges. You can use them as is, or adapt them to pray for other issues close to your heart.
