But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.

  - Psalm 71.14, 15

At one time he was living alone in that hollow rock, separated from the society of others and, as was his custom, dwelling in hidden places or remotely in the wilderness, so that when the feasts of the Lord or saints’ days came, he might, with his mind wholly free from disquieting cares, devote himself to prayer, and might be ready for every religious thought.

  - Jonas, Life of St. Columban, Italian, 7^th century[1]

There is, I believe, a direct correlation between the amount and fervor or our prayers, and the consistency with which we talk to others about the Lord.

Pray much, witness consistently. Pray little…

The psalmist understood the connection between prayer and witness. Praising the Lord “more and more” trained his mouth to speak of God’s righteousness and salvation “all the day.” Imagine if the millions of Christians in this country, and the billions of believers worldwide, were to emulate this example! There’s no limit to what God might do as we talk with others about our faith. But we limit ourselves as witnesses when we do not work hard at prayer.

The more we devote ourselves to prayer, exercising our soul and voice in praise, thanks, adoration, supplication, intercession, and confession, the better prepared we will be in mind, heart, and conscience to make the most of every opportunity to talk to people about God. Talking to God about His goodness, mercy, and love is excellent preparation for talking with others.

Prayer is a kind of training-ground for witness. If we talk well and often with God, we will talk well and often with the people in our Personal Mission Fields. (This is just one of the topics we explore in our Mission Partners Outreach program. Learn more about this by clicking here.)

Columbanus understood this, and so he spent a great deal of time alone with the Lord in prayer. In prayer he sorted out his thoughts, reinforced his love for God, trained his tongue in spiritual truths, interceded for others, and discerned the Lord’s leading for his life.

He was a man ready for good works – and consistent in them – in no small part because he was such a man of prayer.

From what I’ve observed, we have little time for prayer in our day, so it’s not surprising that we also do very little talking with people about our God and His glorious saving plan.

Prayer is the most foundational of all Christian disciplines, the most characteristic aspect of the life of a believer. Prayer is the touchstone and wellspring for effectively working your Personal Mission Field. Work hard at prayer and you will find that God uses that investment to sort out so much else about your walk with Him.

Make it your goal to praise God “more and more” each day, and you’ll be surprised to see how your witness for the Lord comes alive.

Psalm 71.14-16, 3 (Solid Rock: My Hope is Built on Nothing Less)
But as for me, my voice I raise to sing in hope and constant praise!
With saving grace my voice will swell Your never-ending praise to tell.
    A Rock of habitation be! Command Your Word to rescue me;
    My Rock and Fortress ever be!

Help me to pray more fervently, consistently, and effectively, O Lord - beginning today.

Looking for a Christian gift for your non-Christian friends?
Our book, To Know Him, provides a verse exposition of Philippians 3.7-11, complete with notes and Scripture references. If you’ve wondered about how to know Jesus, or you have a friend who needs to know Him, this short book can lead to fruitful contemplation and conversations. Order your copy by clicking here. Our new book, Comparatio, is a verse translation of Ecclesiastes, and can help an unbelieving friend look at his life “under the sun” from a new perspective. Order your copy by clicking here.

The Gospel of the Kingdom vs. the gospel of “near Christianity”
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As you pray…
Would you prayerfully consider helping The Fellowship? Take a few minutes today and ask the Lord whether He would have you share with us regarding the financial needs of this ministry. God supplies all our needs, and He does so through friends who share our vision and benefit from our ministry. It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

T. M. Moore, Principal
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All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.