The PRAYERwerks: Call of Duty

Monday, January 20, 2014

Call of Duty | Call of Love

With duty, one does only what one has to do. With love, one can never do enough.

W. Paul Jones, from Becoming Who God Wants You to Be

Lord Christ,

With your Spirit’s help I try to be faithful to my responsibilities and obligations.

Duty is a worthy virtue, but I occasionally serve it up with a side dish of resentment, even martyrdom. Duty relishes a “thank you” note.

Can the call of duty be replaced with the call of love?

That’s my prayer: to act out of love, not merely obligation. Give me a genuine desire to help...to act or serve reflexively...not counting the cost...with no need for appreciation.

In your name, Amen.

Graphic credit

I admire people who can pray spontaneously, but there’s something to be said for word craft, especially when the words are offered to the Lord.

The PRAYERwerks is my attempt to assemble the components of prayer: Praise. Gratitude. Confession. Repentance. Intercession. Humility. Authenticity. The result: A connection with the presence and power of God.

(There’s a significant omission from the list above: silence before the Lord and listening for his voice. I can’t really assist with that on the Internet other than to remind you of its importance!)

I'm publishing my prayers on the web because we can’t get enough…offer enough…speak enough…internalize enough PRAYER. As St. Paul advised the Thessalonians “PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.” This is my modest contribution to the cause.

Here’s a disclaimer: I may "sample" ideas and language from my daily Bible study - Encounter with God - from Scripture Union USA, and the other resources listed below on the sidebar. Some might consider it plagiarism. I prefer to think of it as improvisation, and I attempt to give the authors and expositors credit.

Thanks for visiting The PRAYERwerks.

G.W. Habel
Durham NC, USA

I only pray when I'm in trouble. But I'm in trouble all the time, so I always pray.

Isaac Bashevis Singer

Nobel Laureate

Prayer is eternity in the midst of mortality, life among death, hope amidst despair, true promise surrounded by lies. So let us pray unceasingly.

Henri Nouwen

One way to make sure that your heart is in tune with God is to pray often. The more you talk to God, the more he will talk to you.

Family Christian Press

Prayer names how God becomes present to us and how we participate in that presence by praying for others.

Stanley Hauerwas
Duke University
From Hannah’s Child