Deliberate devotion to God and prayer experience may be commonly overlooked privileges and duties of sincere Christians. There are two large considerations for the careful Christian to follow in this context. One is the simple, but highly useful prayers and readings offered in scheduled and unscheduled minutes of our lives. But, the most important is what might be perceived and termed the prayerful spirit. This is, I believe, the fulfillment of the Pauline statement: Pray without ceasing. The orientation is known to the persons who gain it, and to be sought by those who do not. It is not measured by time modules, or number of prayer requests, or any other human measure. It is related to an attitude, but greater than attitude. It ultimately redirects the Christian’s mind and spirit. It is an orientation related not only to devotion, but a guide to feelings, conduct, problem solving, and communion with both man and God. It is an attitude that is non-judgmental of persons, leaving all matters to God to strengthen, guide or judge.
Fully functioning, this spirit reduces anger, useless distractions, unimportant factors to life, selfish interests, arrogance, carnality, even boredom. It contributes to humility, evasion of conducts threatening relationships, thoughtfulness, equality, and the like. It is a magnificent influence related to the loves of our lives. It helps reduce personal violations of one’s life. There is within it a conviction of assurance that one may not have sensed before commitment to this personal life context. It reduces judgmental attitudes of others, and regards problems as cause for prayer. God is made evaluator (judge) of life and events, so to act appropriately to his conclusions. Mercy is clearly felt, and practiced, in the orientation. Self is properly veiled. All this is monitored through God’s Holy Spirit. One rests spiritual integrity in all, as noted in the striking summary for Christian culture in the Church, noted above. Everything related to this ideal of Scripture need not be wholly understood. It is experience to be embraced and lived, and to be taken with appreciation. It is proven in practice. It firms up Christian faith for the faithful prayer person.
This is not a saccharine approach to life. It is not religiosity, or escapism. It has its own dynamic, revealed in experience. I have seen that devotional spirit in a number of Christians I have known, and those I have read about in literature that has concerned itself with the personal experience of devout Christians. I sometimes learn something new about the orientation, as I did recently in reading about the life experiences of C. S. Lewis and Mother Teresa. Without that inner experience neither of these persons would have survived some of the silent periods God gave their lives. We need them to assure ourselves.
I feel honored to have known a special devotional person who touched my life – Mr. Pat Zondervan, now deceased. For years we had many contacts both in person and through the mail. He launched my writing/publishing career after he read an article I had written for a magazine. It also contributed to what was determined my qualifications for writing for the Hour of Decision, led by Billy Graham, and aired around the world in the 1950s. Zondervan founded, with his brother, Bernie, the publishing house which, at this writing, is the largest publisher of Bibles in the world. He was an astute businessman, able to advance the business alone after the death of his brother. I was always eager to get the advice of Pat, because I knew it had been sifted through his spiritual life. He sought mine, and, on one occasion, it was clear that he took it against his personal preference. He took time with my children on an occasion that was life changing for my family. His letters were such that when I opened his envelopes, I went immediately to the close of the letter before reading it. He always included a question, with the implied answer in the Scripture he cited for the day. He read the Bible daily until he had his verse for the day. I have a Bible in which for some period of time I marked the date next to the verse he added at the end of his letter that day. His quiet devotion was a constant with him. It was after some prayer that he determined to assist me in the completion of a doctoral degree. Without that participation I do not know how, with the duty to my family, I could have gained that goal. The reality of the prayerful spirit, its affirmations and meaning of good will, has contributed to elevated context for life and thought – and problem solving. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020