7-27-25 “A Community That Prays”

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“A Community That Prays”

I want to start with something funny that I found on an internet site: Three preachers were discussing the best positions for prayer while a telephone repairman worked nearby. “Kneeling is definitely best,” claimed one. “No,” another contended, “I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to heaven.” “You’re both wrong,” the third insisted, “The most effective prayer position is lying prostrate, face down on the floor.” The repairman couldn’t contain himself any longer. “Hey folks,” he interrupted, “the best praying I ever did was hanging upside down from a telephone pole!”

“So—what do you think is the best position for prayer? We often teach our children a prayer posture: kneeling, putting their hands together, and closing their eyes. That might be the best position we’ve learned for prayer, right?”

“Actually, the position doesn’t matter all that much. What truly matters is how we build a meaningful relationship with God. Some people say, ‘I think I’m good with God, but I don’t know how to pray or where to begin.’ That’s true for many of us. We know—and we feel—that we should pray, but sometimes we simply don’t know how.”

I serve as a mentor for a group preparing for ordination. I’m often asked by pastors, especially those serving in cross-cultural ministry, “How do I pray?” They come from different cultural, linguistic, and liturgical backgrounds and often feel unsure. As a cross-cultural minister myself, I understand. But if prayer were only about language or liturgy, many of them would pray better than I do!

The truth is—prayer isn’t something we measure by performance or comparison. It’s something deeper. Something sacred. That’s why so many people—even lifelong Christians and pastors—still wonder how to pray or worry whether they’re doing it “right.” But this is not a new concern. Even the disciples of Jesus had this question.

One day, Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of His disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray.” That request didn’t come from nowhere. The disciples had seen how Jesus prayed—not just the words, but the rhythm of His life, the intimacy He had with the Father. Prayer was the heartbeat of Jesus’ life. And notice—the disciple doesn’t say, “Teach me to pray,” but “Teach us to pray.” That small detail is powerful: Prayer is not just personal—it’s communal. We are called to be a community that prays.

In fact, in Korean, our language doesn’t emphasize the individual as much as English does. We often say “our father,” “our house,” “our community,” even when we’re referring to something personal. So, when I began learning English, it felt strange to say “my father” or “my house.”

Jesus taught His disciples to pray: ‘Our Father who art in heaven… Give us our daily bread… Forgive us our trespasses… Lead us not into temptation…’ This prayer is not written in the language of ‘I’ or ‘me,’ but in the language of ‘us.’ From the beginning, prayer was never meant to be a private achievement. It’s a shared practice. We grow in prayer together—in small groups, in worship, around dinner tables, and in hospital rooms. Jesus doesn’t just give a formula—He gives us a pattern for life. A pattern rooted in relationship—with God and with one another. Yes, God is not only my Father—but our Father. We are a family who shares One Father. We are a community that prays to the One who created and loves us all.

Jesus tells a parable about a man knocking on his neighbor’s door at midnight, asking for bread. It’s awkward. It’s bold. It’s persistent. Imagine the whole family sleeping together in one small room without beds. When one person moves, everyone stirs. I remember that from my childhood—seven of us in one room. If my younger brother needed to go to the bathroom at night, he would end up stepping on someone’s foot or leg, and then the whole family is woken up in the middle of the night.

Jesus gives us that kind of image for prayer. Prayer wakes up the whole household. It disturbs us. It involves us. It invites us all in. That’s the kind of prayer Jesus teaches—not polished, but persistent. Not polite, but real. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened.” This isn’t just about personal needs—it’s about interceding for others.

A praying community doesn’t give up easily. We keep showing up for each other. We pray for the sick until healing comes. We pray for the brokenhearted until comfort arrives. We pray for justice, for peace, for the kingdom to come—together. We don’t approach God as isolated individuals—we come as a family. And the man in Jesus’ story wasn’t asking for bread for himself—he was asking for someone else. He interceded. That’s what prayer does.

This is why we share joys and concerns in worship. This is why we pray for our youth, for VBS, for the lonely, the grieving, and the forgotten—because God listens, and God answers.

Imagine a prayer circle in a hospital: people from different backgrounds, holding hands, lifting a single name to God. In that moment, they become a spiritual family.

So, when you pray, don’t pray only for yourself. As you say, “Give us today our daily bread,” think of someone else’s hunger, grief, or need.

Jesus reminds us: God is not reluctant. God is not stingy. God is generous. “Which of you, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake?” “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask?” We don’t pray because we have the right words. We pray because we trust in a good God. And when we struggle to believe, the community reminds us of that truth. Sometimes your prayer gives me strength when I’m too tired to pray. Sometimes my prayer carries hope for you when you’re burdened. That’s the power of a praying community: We carry each other. We hold each other up. We do not pray alone.

What would it look like for our church to be known as “A Community That Prays”?

Not just a place with a prayer list—but a people who: Begin every meeting and moment in prayer; Pray for our neighborhood, not just our membership; Create safe space for people to bring their real joys and griefs before God; Teach our children not just how to say prayers—but how to live prayerfully

Let us not just say, “I’ll pray for you”—let’s actually pray, together. Let our homes and sanctuaries echo with the voices of people asking, seeking, and knocking on behalf of one another and the world. Jesus didn’t just give us words—He gave us a way of life: A way of trusting the Father; A way of forgiving each other; A way of asking boldly; A way of being filled with the Spirit as one body.  Prayer is not just what we do—it’s how we become the people God calls us to be. This week, pray the Lord’s Prayer every day. But don’t just pray it alone—pray it thinking of us—our hopes, our needs, our world. Call a friend and pray together. Hold a child’s hand and say it slowly. Join your church family in becoming a community that prays.

Thanks be to God. Amen!