Prayer matters for it can change us for better
Last year during Covid-19, I had the opportunity to write a little encouragement in
Tongan every week for our congregation. Our church was still closed and we rarely
met face to face. I then used a Tongan Proverb to be the heading of my writing
every week. The name of the proverb is “Holo pe tu’u he ko e ngalu ‘e fasi”
meaning, stay where you are (lit. stand) for the waves will break). It’s a Tongan
proverb about surfing. And you know the best time for surfing is when you have
big waves so you can surf from the deep end until you reach the sand.
In Tonga, the surfers usually stand on the rock and watch the waves so they can pick
the perfect wave to take them to the beach. Sometimes, they can stand there for a
long time. So this proverb is really an encouragement not to give up easily, for the
opportunity will come and you will be able to ride on a beautiful wave to the beach.
This is my refection number 42 and it’s about prayer from Psalm 20.
The Theme of my reflection is about Prayer. Prayer does matter because, like the
sunflower, we too need sustenance if we are to survive in our spiritual lives.
Without regular intake of nourishment from the Source of our lives, we like the
sunflower, will begin to wither and die. When I read Psalm 20:7 – “Some trust in
chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
This is a psalm of David and was probably composed before going to war.
David knew that without God, we failed in our lives.
David knew that the best preparation for any wars was praying.
Prayers show our allegiance to God. We trust God to help us be victorious in our
different wars in life. David would have known it well when he went out to fight the
Giant Goliath. He said to Goliath, “You come against with sword and spear and
javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, (1 Sam17:45)
In our key verse today, some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in
the name of the Lord our God. Prayer matters because it can change a sinner to
become a person of God. Last week, we learned about Zacchaeus changed as a result
of his fellowship with Jesus. Let us be reminded that God in our lives, we will be able
to face the future with hope despite the troubles in our life journey.
Grace & Peace, Rev Maile