Prayer – a ministry of the church
A lot of life involves transitions—living between the times. The New Testament describes our lives here and now as located between the times of the two advents of Jesus Christ. As I write this, we are in the church season of Advent, which culminates at Christmas. It marks the beginning of the incarnate life of the Son of God with his birth. The season of Easter marks the end of Jesus’ earthly life with his death and resurrection—and with his promise of return, his second advent. And so, we are living now, as members of his Body, the church, “between the times.”
It’s not easy to live between the times. But we are given gifts of grace to do so. We are given the Word of God written, we are given the presence of the Holy Spirit and we are given the gift of prayer. All these gifts nourish and fortify our hope in the return of our Lord and Savior, when every tear will be wiped away, all things will be put right, all things made new.
As we pray, now, here, between the times, we do not pray alone. Guided by Scripture and moved by the Spirit, we join our risen and ascended Lord and Savior in his intercessions for us. The words from the book of Hebrews are especially important: as our eternal and living mediator, he always “lives to make intercessions” for us (Heb. 7:23-25).
A central work or ministry of the church of Jesus Christ, in these times-between-the times, is prayer. Not to get our Triune God to do something he would rather not do, but rather to join with our risen Lord in what he is doing by his Word and Spirit between the times. Prayer is not a way to avoid doing something we ought to do. Rather, it is a vital way to participate in what the living God is doing in this present evil age, as it is passing away, as we wait, and even grieve in hope.
Often it seems there is little or nothing we can directly do to address a concern or situation we are aware of. The challenge or obstacle, the depth or breadth of the problem, is far too deep or far too extensive. We may even sense we are being confronted with evil powers or influences far too great for us to overcome. Paul recognizes this situation. In his letter to the Ephesians he reminds us that ultimately, we are “not contending with flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).
So what do we do? We “put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” He goes on to describe prayer as the climax and conclusion of our putting on the whole armor of God. “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”
By the mysterious ministry of the Holy Spirit we can offer up our prayers to Jesus and join him in his intercessions for us. It is in such prayer that we can “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Ephesians 6:10-18).
J. Oswald Sanders has written: “Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.” Prayer is the central work and ministry of the church. And for anyone who has seriously taken it up, it is a demanding and arduous work. Perhaps that is why we are often tempted to minimize and even avoid it!
More extensively, but along the same lines, let me share a lengthier quotation from Thomas F. Torrance, who puts prayer in its rightful place and gives us hope in a world that can often seem dark and out of control. He indicates that prayer is the deepest and most effective way we can share in the continuing ministry of our risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ — in this time between the times of Christ’s first and second advents.
“So far as the Church in history and on earth is concerned, therefore, the great connecting link between world history and the heavenly session of Christ is to be found in prayer and intercession. That is why when the New Testament speaks about the relations of Church and State it regularly directs the Church to prayer as its most important service, for it is in prayer that through the Spirit the heavenly intercessions of the risen and enthroned Lamb are made to echo in the intercessions of mankind and the people of God are locked with Christ in the great apocalyptic struggle with the forces of darkness. But because he who rules from the throne of God is the Lamb who has been slain, but behold he is alive for evermore and holds the keys of death and hell, the Church’s engagement in prayer is already a participation in the final victory of the Kingdom of Christ. Thus the life, mission, and worship of the Church on earth and in history are, as it were, in counterpoint to the victorious paeans of the hosts above who surround the throne of the Lamb and worship and glorify God” (T.F. Torrance, Space, Time and Resurrection, Eerdmans, 1976, pp. 138-9).
May Torrance’s words concerning prayer be a reminder and encouragement to us all as we marvel in the miracle of what is good and joyful and as we face great sorrows and challenges in this time between our Lord and Savior’s two Advents.
Gary Deddo, GCS News, Winter 2021