Heartfelt Prayer

 

 

 

The only prayers that matter

Are heartfelt prayers,

We are born-again believers

And not soothsayers.

It is not our business to say

What the outcome will be

But rather to pray from our heart

And to do so sincerely.

 

Let us not treat to prayer

As though prayer is the object,

But as a God-given facility

To be used as a conduit.

 

An open line to the Father

Like an internet phone

So that we can call him any time

Whether in Barbados or Rome. 

 

 

From heart to heart

That is: from our heart to God’s

With whatever troubles us

At home and abroad.

 

The data package is unlimited

And so is the time

And unlike internet providers,

We don’t pay a dime.

 

The prayers that matter, however,

Are prayers from the heart,

This is the heart of the matter

And this is where we start.

 

Not elocution or oration

But straight from the heart,

Not a premise of bargaining rights

But taking the humble part.

 

The war that we wage

Is not prayer but the Gospel,

Prayer is constant communication

With the God of the Bible.

 

It is mostly not audible

And it need not be

Except in corporate circumstances

For example: in an assembly.

 

The weapon of our warfare

Is God’s precious Word

And in constant touch with God

We share it with the world.

 

Let us not boast about

About your prayers or mine

And whose prayers win the most battles

In this or at any time… 

 

But let us pray from the heart

Every minute of every day

For this is praying without ceasing;

It is the Christian way.

 

A thought spared for a brother

As he goes through his crisis

Is a heartfelt prayer

That the Father doesn’t miss.

 

And even when we don’t assemble

As was the case not long ago

Still, heartfelt prayers are ongoing

Is a thought we should know.

 

The heart of the matter

Sums up our heartfelt prayers

For every brother and sister

Each and every day.

 

Stewart Russell © September 3, 2020