Prayer as Service

There was a gentleman who belonged to my church named Jim Ray.  Jim's gift was service to others, and that is the way he lived his life.  I've written about him before.

He came to mind today because I read this in my study bible, referencing Luke 18 and the story of the persistent widow:  "To grasp the way in which the widow is a model of prayer, it is important to realize how this parable expands the idea of prayer to include the whole life of believers in their crying out in the midst of and their protesting against injustice."

Jim's life, lived in service, was in some ways a  cry out against injustice.  Isn't that what service is, sometimes?  In a discussion at church about what prayer is, I mentioned that Jim's service was an example of prayer. Everyone looked at me as if I wasn't making sense, and maybe I wasn't, but I still see a connection between what you do and what you pray.  Service is a kind of prayer.  It is communicating with God.  It is responding to God's love with love and obedience -- to God and to other people.  It is a kind of prayer.

Think about how you pray beyond the expected way you pray.