The more Patrick prayed, the more he found in prayer a haven of pleasure and power. Patrick’s prayers affected everything he did as a slave in Ireland. Today’s excerpt from Patrick: A Devotional History is found on pages 32 and 33:
“Prayer strengthened him not merely to endure his hardship but to find strength and delight in doing his work. [He wrote,]
“I found through prayer a pleasant means to do
my work without complaint or fear, and would
remain out on the mountain and in the woods
through snow or frost or rain. I rose to pray
before the morning light appeared each day,
and suffered no adversity, nor was
I sluggish in my work. It was because
the Spirit of the living God was in
me stirring, freeing me from fear and sin.
“God was at work in Patrick, and through the power of prayer Patrick connected with the Lord’s Presence, strength, freedom, and joy.
“These days we can’t imagine anyone praying like this—rising before dawn, praying throughout the work day, filling the vacant spaces of our schedule with prayer, experiencing the Spirit of God ‘stirring’ within our soul because of the vibrancy and power of prayer.
“Yet such prayer is available to us all. Jesus promised that prayer can make our faith a reality. The problem is not so much that we don’t know how to pray or don’t pray enough. The problem is our faith is so small that we don’t see God as our only hope, our great need, our comforting companion, and the sovereign ruler over all our circumstances. If our vision of God was even as clear and compelling as it was to Patrick, we would seek His Presence in prayer with greater zeal, consistency, fervor, and effects.”
For reflection or discussion
1. How does your prayer life feature in your daily activities? Like work, or running errands, or working out, or having a conversation?
2. How does the Holy Spirit help you in your prayers?
We must not minimize the work of prayer. Jesus said men should always pray, and Paul urged us to pray without ceasing. Are these our aims in prayer? Should they be? Share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together to discuss ways of improving your prayer life. You can order a free PDF copy of our 30-day devotional, Patrick: A Devotional History by going to The Ailbe Bookstore.
T. M. Moore
