For more than two decades, I have had the privilege of serving on committees that deal with relations with other Reformed and Presbyterian churches. In that cap­acity, one gets to experience what we confess each Sun­day about the one holy catholic church, gathered from all tongues and tribes and nations.

In my visits to meetings of synods, presbyteries, and general assemblies of the Reformed Church in Quebec (ERQ), the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC), and the Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS), as well as meetings of the North American Presbyterian and Re­formed Council (NAPARC), it stands out that there is a great deal of praying during these meetings. For the cas­ual observer, it appears as if they pray at the drop of a hat. I experienced this again while spending a few days at the General Assembly of the OPC held in Grand Rap­ids, MI, this past June. Prayer was offered, not simply at the beginning of each day, but at the resumption of the meeting after each recess for coffee or meals. Prayer was offered at the conclusion of the presentation of every committee report. Further, prayer was offered upon the retirement of brothers who had served in various com­mittees for many years. Prayer was also offered after each greeting by representatives from churches in ec­clesiastical fellowship. In short, the meeting repeatedly stopped to pray.

This presence of frequent prayer was also highlighted in one of the mid-day devotions based on 1 Thessalon­ians 1:1-3. In this passage, Paul mentions his constant prayer for the Thessalonians. The speaker mentioned how the General Assembly was a place of constant prayer as it repeatedly stopped to pray.

Another "...and Pray" Phrase⤒🔗

This "stop and pray" approach brought to mind an­other "...and pray" phrase frequently heard, namely, "work and pray." At times, we even get to hear it in Latin, "ora et labora." It is interesting that the English trans­lation reverses the sequence of the Latin.

It seems to me that the phrase is usually invoked to stress the "work" part rather than the "pray" part. There is, after all, the danger of emphasizing dependence upon God to the point of overshadowing our human responsib­ility. For example, it is one thing to pray for the coming of the kingdom of God, but we must also do what we can to work faithfully for the coming of that kingdom. The saying "work and pray," then, is used to get people to work. The words "stop and pray," however, seem to do the opposite. It gets people to pray.

Scriptural Support←⤒🔗

It is actually easier to find support in Scripture for the exhortation to "stop and pray" than to "work and pray." There is the example of the Lord Jesus himself, who would often stop to find a quiet place in order to pray to his Father. When the apostles faced a growing demand on their time to look after the widows, they instructed the congregation to find suitable men for that task so that they could continue to give attention "to prayer and the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:4). The letters of the Apos­tle Paul indicate that he spent much time in prayer for the congregations that had come about through his mission­ary work. For example, we read in 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 3, "We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith..." Paul never forgot the churches he helped establish as he prayed for them.

Praying, however, is not simply an apostolic activity. We also have repeated exhortations to all the readers to pray. In 1 Thes­salonians 5:17, 18 we read, "Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." In Ephesians 6:18, just after having described all the pieces of the ar­mour of faith, Paul writes,

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

These exhortations to prayer are echoed in Lord's Day 45:116 of the Heidelberg Catechism. There it is confessed that "God will give his grace and the Holy Spirit only to those who constantly and with heartfelt longing ask him for these gifts and thank him for them." Note also there the use of the word "constantly."

When we think of Paul's life, it is obvious that the call to pray continually and on all occasions did not mean his readers should cease all work. If Paul had spent all his life in prayer, he would never have travelled and preached as much as he did. He also provided for his own needs by working as a tent maker. That prayer does not eliminate living a busy life is evident also in the quote attributed to Martin Luther, "I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer."

The call to pray constantly and on all occasions is a call to live a life where prayer is an integral part of one's daily activities. To a degree, this has been incorpor­ated into our basic Christian habits, such as prayer before and after meals, bedtime prayers, as well as prayers at meetings and many other functions. If you think through your day, you may find that you come quite close to the Psalmist's praying seven times a day (Ps 119:164).

Unscheduled Prayer←⤒🔗

The frequency of prayer in the normal course of our Christian life may make it seem unnecessary to be ex­horted to stop and pray. If anything, it might seem more necessary to exhort one to "work and pray." At the same time, it is important to consider whether there is good reason to add many unscheduled prayer stops throughout the day. For example, when there is reason for thankful­ness, does that have to wait? This is so both in personal situations and in meetings and assemblies. When there is need for intercession for a loved one, is it even possible to wait for the next scheduled prayer stop? One can simply lay matters before the Lord in prayer. In a public func­tion, it is possible to offer a short and focused prayer of thanksgiving or intercession.

The need for unscheduled "prayer stops" comes out even more in times of temptations and conflicts. Think of a brother or sister who is struggling to stay away from Internet porn, or who is struggling to deal with a drug or alcohol addiction. I highlight that they are struggling. They want to do what is right, but sin is enticing them. What if they, in that very moment of temptation, would stop and pray, putting the struggle against the particular temptation before the Lord, before the next click, before reaching for the next drink, or the next joint? Or, think of a situation where a husband and wife can sense their marriage is heading in the wrong direction and they would like to turn it around, but then they end up in an argument again. What if they would say to each other, "Let us stop and pray"? How would they look at each other after they have just directed their hearts to their Saviour and pleaded for his Spirit? Would they not real­ize again that they are fellow heirs? Similarly, when loud argument develops between a teenager and his or her parents and it looks like mean words and regrettable actions are about to happen, what if someone would say, "Let us stop and pray"?

We can extend the list of situations. We can think of an office bearer, who has to make a difficult disciplinary type visit, or he has to make a visit to a brother or sister diagnosed with a terminal disease, and he does not know if he will have the right words. Again, it is a time to stop and pray. Similarly, if two brothers in the Lord get into a big argument, what if they would stop and pray, and then look at each other again? Would they not have a differ­ent perspective, seeing each other as brothers bought by Christ's blood?

Stop, Pray, Work, Stop...←⤒🔗

When we think it through, the words "stop and pray" we do not contradict the familiar saying of "work and pray. They do serve as a necessary corrective, showing us where the emphasis has to be. It was pointed out that the English "work and pray" reverses the sequence of the Latin, "pray and work." We are to begin with prayer. By prayer, we very consciously place our lives before the Lord. Living our lives very consciously before the Lord will also mean that we will feel the need to stop and pray frequently for his grace and Holy Spirit in order to keep in step with the Spirit.