I was reminded of a simple children’s song a few weeks ago as I contemplated the meaning of prayer. For the past few months, a group of young women and I have been studying about the meaning and purpose behind prayer. We have dug deep into our role as followers of Christ and how our prayer life mirrors who we are as believers.
But it was at the Maundy Thursday service at my church when I finally came to grasp the real importance behind prayer. You see, when Jesus went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, He took His disciples with Him to bring to fruition his last few hours on earth. But as they prayed, Jesus found that His disciples were falling asleep and He encouraged them to pray that they would not fall into temptation.
Our pastor used the image of a light bulb to bring this concept into focus. He held up a lamp in front of the congregation and asked what we needed to do to make the light work. Immediately, someone spoke up and said that the light needed to be plugged in. So Pastor Tim plugged in the lamp, and just like that, there was light. Pastor talked about how we need to be plugged into our prayer life and in communication with God before we can begin to bear fruit in our lives.
This fruit can be seen when others notice something different about us and question about what it is that sets us apart. If we are connected in prayer with our Father, others will be drawn to that light— a light only God can place inside our lives and hearts.
But what about the times when we “fall into temptation” as the disciples did on that memorable Thursday evening? Well, think of it this way: when a person is disconnected from their relationship with Christ, he or she is probably not actively participating in their prayer life. When the connection is broken, there is no way to ward off the advances of the enemy. I’m thinking of the children’s song again where the lyric says, “Don’t let Satan blow it out.” Some renditions of the song actually have the children making a blowing noise with their mouths here. It’s a simple expression of how easy it is to be driven away from our communication with the Father if we’re not connected to the life source: Christ. When we are connected, it is much easier to ward off those sneaky tactics of the devil.
Since music is the easiest way I know to explain what I’m trying to say, I am posting a link to a song by Addison Road that incorporates the children’s song “This Little Light of Mine.” Enjoy!
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