situations where the people in the class/group were asked if anyone felt led to pray or wanted to pray aloud. As usual, everyone in the group was engaged in a deep study of their hands or their shoes. No one spoke up and said, "I will, let's pray!"
I find this a little disturbing. As I travel throughout the world, working within other cultures, I am convicted of my own sin, my own pride, my own feeling of "what if I say the wrong thig?" Brothers and sisters in other countries readily take up the privelege of prayer, of going before the throne of grace to worship, to speak on another's behalf, to give thanksgiving. They aren't afaid to pray in a group, because, after all, they aren't praying to impress me or anyone else, they are talking with their Friend, their Savior, their Lord, the Person who is there for them every moment of the day, every day of their lives. What a lesson!
One of my recent prayers for myself was to be more bold in my faith, to speak up more, to pray with others more, to take advantage of those God given opportunities. Prayer is a privlege that we need to take advantage of...we need to exercise that privlege daily, numerous times a day, keeping our eyes on the One to whom we speak. We will then know a closeness to the Lord when we take the step of faith and speak out in prayer!
My former roommate in college, Fran, goes on a mission trip every time she has vacation time accrued in her position of employment. her mission work is mostly in South America with medical missionary teams. I am intrested in working with the mentally ill and finding ways of making worship and the worship setting more of a sanctuary for them. Not only are people self conscious about praying but folks can be self conscious and awkward about dealing with people who look or behave oddly, even if they pose no threat.
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