“22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, 23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25 it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” 30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. 33 And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.” (Acts 15:22-35 ESV)

It can seem we don’t have much time in our day to pray. It can seem that to Arrive, the Christian’s “Game”, is an elusive goal. God is the Lord; cast your cares on Him. He will bear your Burden. Yet it can seem that we are not worthy of His love; we approach with trepidation at times, and false confidence at other times. Like the daring raid made in the cloak of darkness, we suddenly are bold to Ask, precisely because we feel good about ourselves for a change.

To find time to Pray, to arrive at that elusive Goal, comprises a deep Reverence and Honorarium towards God. Towards Him, we hold out our best devices amidst a rambling and unbearable load. Our load… it isn’t so much that we need someone to talk to as it is that we need to learn not to mince words: God is King, we are His people. We are capable of unloading and living in a cloud-cuckoo land (to some) of fellowship with Him. He tells us to send, to unsend, to write, to prognosticate, and to catch the prevailing winds of time.

We are, after all, manic and despondent intertwined. Our level of playing field, our missional engagement, our situational awareness Acted Upon, revolves around the One who bore our burden being Available for prayer. We can envision ourselves in the cusp of His timely concern and reassurance: if you knew, O Son, O daughter, if you recollected your own observations, the world is too bent on war and going to hell in a handbasket, ever to worry over a point of politeness or over-extension of your self. Scream, if you must, that Jesus is Lord. Shout it in the streets and on the streetcorners, that Christ is King. Be blessed by the silence of the respondent at times, a respectful silence or refusal to pin you down for any errors writ or made.

To find time in the day to Pray, the Soldier of Christ is ubiquitous and in permanence Reshaped already, already remade, already Capable, Competent to gear up and Accept Divine Things. Things too wonderful for words, as we bask or alight upon Today’s Mission Statement, Creed, Voyage, Determined Ruse. We have a ruse most determined because Already the prayer is heard though we lacked time to pray ourselves into a good place; Already the cavalry in on the way though we had not the boldness thus to Ask; Already the foibles and faultlines are Forgiven though we were scared of our own transgression-met-with-voyaging. We voyaged rather than transgressed; our heavenly Boldness was to crucify and checkmate all middling spirits of politeness and compromise. We do not compromise. We are heavensent and all this because we have Died to Self, have Risen with Him, have that self-confidence wherein with head cocked high we dare to Approach. Approach the Risen King, not looking for a hug so much as Accepting Belonging and Purpose.

The mission, then, is to write off all despondent compromises, and to lance forth Encouraged and Forgiven, because we Have To; not because it is a good idea, but because we Must. We are always mission critical; what words we would pray out or utter as the guards pinned us down and dragged us out of sight… these words we use Now. Because all life is ebbing and flowing, intimidating by accident this and such guilty party, and offending that and so guilty party. Accidentally, our Gospel is making converts and disciples; we need say so little in light of how ripe the fields are for harvest. Yet speak we do, not having had enough time to pray ourselves into the “Right Place”. Christ is King, and as such He has withdrawn to pray for each of us; He is post-Ruse, post-complication, post-malaise and confusion: He is living and active, His Spirit sharper than a two-edged sword; His sense of Righteous Cause a harbinger to each of us, to live into the party atmosphere post-death, post-worry, post-simplicity of timid nature.