Invitation to Prayer

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

"God’s Desire for Us ..."

"I am deeply convinced that the necessity to pray, and to pray unceasingly, is not so much based on our desire for God as on God’s desire for us. It is God’s passionate pursuit of us that calls us to prayer. Prayer comes from God’s initiative, not ours. It might sound shocking, but it is biblical to say: God wants us more than we want God! The English spiritual writer Anthony Bloom (Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh) says it better than I when he writes:

We complain that God does not make God’s self present to us for the few minutes we reserve for God, but what about the twenty-three and a half hours during which God may be knocking at our door and we answer, ‘I am busy. I am sorry.’ Or when we do not answer at all because we do not even hear the knock at the door of our heart, of our mind, of our conscience, of our life. So there is a situation in which we have no right to complain of the absence of God, because we are a great deal more absent than God ever is.

So, who is more in need of our prayers: we or God? God is. Who wants to be heard most: we or God? God does. And who ‘suffers’ more from our lack of prayer: we or God? I say it in awe but without fear: God does. As long as we continue to reduce prayer to occasional piety we keep running away from the mystery of God’s jealous love, the love in which we are created, redeemed, and made holy."

The Only Necessary Thing: Living a Prayerful Life by Henri J.M. Nouwen

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

OK, this snippet from Prayer and the Jealous God by Henri Nouwen is definitely food for thought. It appealed to me initially because of the idea that God is passionately pursuing us. It made me uncomfortable, though, thinking about what Nouwen calls “the mystery of God’s jealous love.” I welcome your feedback and insights if you are so moved to respond.

We will meet to pray for God’s children Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 11:30 a.m. in the Bride's room at First Presbyterian Church, Midland. We'll have lunch ($5) and a time of fellowship afterwards.

If you have prayer concerns or celebrations about children at risk, those who care for them, have authority over them, or, yes, even those who harm them, please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call. Thank you for praying for the children of our global and local communities!

Celebrating God’s pursuit,
Chris