Prayer & Praise

by Shannon Winslow

  Then what are we to do? Jane Austen has a good answer when she includes a plea for God’s protection from evil in her prayer – an echo of what we say in the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus taught (deliver us from evil). Romans 12 instructs us not to be overcome by evil, but instead to overcome evil with good. 1 Peter 5 tells us to be self-controlled and alert, resisting the devil and standing firm in faith. We find more wisdom in Ephesians 6:10-18.

  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms… Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep praying for all the saints.

  Fanny Price must have had her armor on. She was not deceived by Henry Crawford’s lies. Her heart was kept safe from his repeated assaults. She was able to extinguish the flaming arrows launched at her. Taking a stand against her tormenter’s schemes wasn’t easy, though. It was a painful struggle, just as Scripture tells us it will be.

  It is right and wise to have a healthy fear of Satan; he is capable of doing great harm. But it’s also right to remember his limitations. He is not all-knowing and all-powerful like God. What’s more, thanks to Jesus, Satan is ultimately a defeated foe. Jesus conquered sin, death, and the devil once and for all on the cross. No matter what happens to us in this life, our eternity is safe in God’s hands!

  Let Us Pray

  Merciful Father, by your grace, protect us from the evil one and his influence. Clothe us in your armor of light to enable us to stand against the darkness in this world, confident in the victory won by your Son Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

  Let Us Praise

  Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony… (Revelation 12:10-11)

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  Thank God!

  May the sick and afflicted, be now & ever [in] thy care…

  When in Persuasion Louisa Musgrove fell and hit her head at the shore in Lyme, she was not the only one to suffer. She may have been the one sick in body, but all her friends and family were instantly afflicted as well. Mary became hysterical; Henrietta fainted from the shock; Captain Wentworth despaired and agonized; and Charles sobbed, crying out, “What, in heaven’s name, is to be done next?” Anne, who felt the horror of the moment just as much, suffered the added pressure of having everybody turn to her for direction.

  Today, if this kind of accident occurred, things would go quite differently. Six to twelve people would instantly whip out their cell phones to call 911, and soon the victim would be whisked off to the nearest hospital for the most advanced medical care available. But that’s not always enough. Even today, so many afflictions of body, mind, and spirit remain completely beyond human know-how to mend. So, in our helplessness and desperation, we still cry out to God. We beg for his intervention. We pray for him to guide human efforts toward healing and add to them his miraculous power so that our loved one may be restored.

  This is as it should be. God invites us to bring all our needs and heartaches to him in prayer. Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you (Psalms 55:22). Although our prayers aren’t always answered in the way we hope, oftentimes they are. Then what do we do next?

  Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him – and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:11-18)

  Like the lepers, we passionately pray for help when we are in crisis. But once the crisis passes and all is well again, do we remember to thank God just as fervently? Even unbelievers sometimes cry out to God in a desperate situation, but will they give him the glory if he answers, or will their escape be credited to “good luck” or to some human savior?

  God is the great physician. All things are under his control. Whether working through human hands or by miraculous intervention, God deserves the glory and the thanks for all healing of body, mind, and spirit. Even when he does not answer our prayers in the way we want – healing us or our loved ones here and now – we are to praise him, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:20). We can place the sick and afflicted in God’s care, as today’s excerpt from Jane Austen’s prayer suggests, and know that whatever happens after that is somehow part of the Almighty’s greater plan.

  So, how do our friends from Persuasion measure up to these principles? How did they hold up in a crisis? Did they pass the test for proper prayerfulness and thankfulness? Do you? What other lessons can we learn?

  First, we see how Louisa’s bad judgment and willfulness (“I am determined I will!”) involved herself and her friends in serious trouble, which could have been avoided if she had only listened to the voice of caution. In fact, this is one of the main themes of the novel.

  Anne wondered whether it ever occurred to [Captain Wentworth] now, to question the justness of his own previous opinion as to the universal felicity and advantage of firmness of character: and whether it might not strike him that, like all other qualities of mind, it should have its proportions and limits. (chapter 12)

  We’re not specifically told that anyone prayed for Louisa in the first moments of the crisis, but it may be inferred, especially from what followed:

  That [the surgeon] did not regard it as a desperate case, that he did not say a few hours must end it, was at first felt, beyond the hope of most; and the ecstasy of such a reprieve, the rejoicing, deep and silent, after a few fervent ejaculations of gratitude to Heaven had been offered, may be conceived. (chapter 12)

  The tone, the look, with which “Thank God!” was uttered by Captain Wentworth, Anne was sure could never be forgotten by her; nor the sight of him afterwards, as he sat near a table, leaning over it with folded arms and face concealed, as if overpowered by the various feelings of his soul, and trying by prayer and reflection to calm them. (chapter 12)

  Louisa’s friends didn’t forget that they were powerless to fix the problem. They didn’t trust to luck or only to a doctor’s wisdom. At least some of them were looking higher for help. They entrusted the sick Louisa and their own affliction to God. Then, as soon as there was a moment to reflect, as soon as there was a sign that Louisa might be spared, they offered prayers of gratitude, no doubt asking the Lord’s continued mercy and healing. May we always remember to do likewise, to say “Thank God!” and mean it.

  Let Us Pray

  Oh God, you created each of us and know the inner workings of our minds and bodies completely. Every day of life and health is a gift from you for which we are grateful. Help us to always remember to give thanks for your continued provision and to entrust ourselves and our loved ones into your merciful care. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

  Let Us Praise

  PRAISE THE LORD, O
my soul; all my inmost being praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. (Psalms 103:1-4)

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  Bon Voyage

  …and heartily do we pray for the safety of all that travel by Land or by Sea…

  From Austen’s novels, two examples of travelers at risk came to mind: Captain Wentworth from Persuasion and Sir Thomas Bertram in Mansfield Park. Along with his oldest son, Sir Thomas voyaged to Antigua to check on his holdings there, expecting to be gone nearly a year. The vile Mrs. Norris didn’t think much of their chances of a safe return.

  Mrs. Norris had been indulging in very dreadful fears… and as she depended on being the first person made acquainted with any fatal catastrophe, she had already arranged the manner of breaking it to all the others, when Sir Thomas’s assurances of their both being alive and well, made it necessary to lay by her agitation and affectionate preparatory speeches for a while. (Mansfield Park, chapter 4)

  You’ll notice that Mrs. Norris only resigned herself to laying her macabre expectations of disaster aside for a while. After all, the Bertram men still had to make it home again. As for Captain Wentworth, he was not just an occasional traveler; he was a naval man by profession. Speaking of his first command, the Asp, he says…

  “I was the last man to command her. Hardly fit for service then… The admiralty,” he continued, “entertain themselves now and then, with sending a few hundred men to sea, in a ship not fit to be employed. But they have a great many to provide for; and among the thousands that may just as well go to the bottom as not, it is impossible for them to distinguish the very set of men who may be least missed.” (Persuasion, chapter 8)

  Although both these examples are related with a bit of Austen’s caustic wit and ironic humor, the dangers were very real. Crossing the sea was an uncomfortable and perilous undertaking in itself. Add the possibility of armed conflict (Napoleon and all), and the odds of a safe return diminished still further.

  Now think of the hardships the apostle Paul experienced on his missionary journeys. He was not a mere tourist facing ordinary discomforts of travel, or even a businessman like Sir Thomas with worries on his mind. Paul’s hardships were more akin to Captain Wentworth’s in that he ventured into an unknown and potentially hostile environment. In Paul’s case, he traveled hundreds of miles on foot, no doubt sleeping out on the ground most nights with little protection from weather or predators. At other times, he went by boat, which posed a different set of risks. As he relates in 2 Corinthians, chapter 11, he was shipwrecked three times, spent a night and a day in the open sea, faced danger from bandits and also from people who violently opposed his message, and sometimes he went without sleep, food, and drink.

  As they traveled from town to town… the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region… When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:4-10)

  Paul could have stayed safely and comfortably at home. And yet he chose to go when God called him to take the gospel message to the Gentiles. Not only did he go when God called; he went where God called him, not knowing what dangers might await him in those foreign lands.

  God doesn’t call all Christians to foreign mission fields like Paul, but he does call all Christians to share the gospel when and where he directs. Jesus’ great commission (“Go and make disciples…”) from Matthew 28:19, is for all believers. Notice that the first word of this command is go! Whether our own personal “go” means across the street or around the world, we are to be on the move for God. That means being willing to leave our personal comfort zones, face fears, and take a risk for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

  That’s a daunting prospect, isn’t it? But it’s also an exciting one, to think that God can use ordinary men and women like us – like the first disciples were too – to do his work. Because it isn’t about us; it’s not because of any advanced knowledge or special skill we possess. It’s about the gospel message itself. It’s about the power of God’s Word and his Spirit’s ability to work in the hearts of people. It’s about Jesus Christ, who in that same great commission promised to be with us always.

  Jesus goes with us whenever we enter the “mission field,” which is everywhere around us. (Some churches even post that above their doors to remind members as they leave, “You are now entering the mission field.”) With whom is he calling you to share his good news? It might be your spouse or your next-door neighbor. It might be a stranger you meet on the street or in the grocery store. It might be a long-time friend who’s approaching death’s door. Will you ask God for discernment to hear and understand his direction for where and to whom he is sending you? Then will you respond like Isaiah did in Isaiah 6:8? “Here am I. Send me!”

  Bon voyage!

  Let Us Pray

  Merciful Father, thank you for your gracious provision of salvation through the sacrifice of your Son. Let us not be content to keep that gift to ourselves. Stir our hearts and then our feet to carry and share the good news of Jesus Christ wherever you send us. Amen.

  Let Us Praise

  GIVE THANKS to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. (Psalms 105:1-4)

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  Bestowing Crowns

  …we pray… for the comfort & protection of the Orphan and Widow…

  Historically, widows and orphans represent some of the world’s most vulnerable citizens, so much so that from the beginning God made special provision for them (and for other poor or disadvantaged people) in his law, through tithes (Deuteronomy 14:28-29) and gleanings (Leviticus 19:9-10).

  Jane Austen includes an orphan or two (Jane Fairfax and possibly Harriet Smith) and several widows in her novels. While all of them may be pitied for their losses, otherwise the comparative tragedy of their circumstances varies enormously. Lady Catherine certainly didn’t require financial assistance from anyone, but Mrs. Bates and Mrs. Smith were another matter. Then there’s Mrs. Bennet. Although she wasn’t even a widow, at least not yet, she was plagued with premature fears:

  “And now here’s Mr. Bennet gone away, and I know he will fight Wickham, wherever he meets him and then he will be killed, and what is to become of us all? The Collinses will turn us out before he is cold in his grave, and if you are not kind to us, brother, I do not know what we shall do.” (Pride and Prejudice, chapter 47)

  From our modern frame of reference, we may laugh at how ridiculous Mrs. Bennet seems in her desperation to get her daughters married off and her violent agitation over the possibility of being left a widow someday. But in truth, the danger was very real. Thanks to the notorious entail, she and her five daughters would have been left with next to nothing if Mr. Bennet had died. Home, income, and possibly even their social respectability would have died with him. The family’s future was only secured when Jane and Elizabeth married rich men.

  No such luck for the Austen women. When Mr. Austen died, his widow and unmarried daughters were left in a state of near poverty, dependent on friends and relations to keep a roof over their heads. Aside from the meager income provided by Jane’s writing, they weren’t even able to earn their daily bread due to the limitations placed on them by society. As Jane later wrote in a letter to her niece Fanny (March, 1817), “Single women have a dreadful propensity for being poor…” So, when
Jane prayed for the comfort & protection of the Orphan and Widow, she knew from experience how important it was.

  But how did her characters respond to that kind of need? We have good examples and bad. Colonel Campbell (offstage in Emma) is a star. Out of respect for his dead friend, the colonel sought out Lieutenant Fairfax’s orphaned child Jane and took notice of her. He did everything in his power to be sure she was loved and provided for, even giving her the education required to support herself as a governess if that became necessary. Persuasion’s Anne Elliot also followed biblical principles – visit orphans and widows in their distress (James 1:27) – when she insisted on keeping her appointment with the poor, ailing Mrs. Smith instead of paying empty homage to a viscountess.

  On the flip side, consider how the widow Mrs. Smith was seen and treated by others. Sir Walter, arguing that any daughter of his was too good to wait on someone so lowly, urged Anne to put off her distasteful friend in favor of Lady Dalrymple. Worse still, William Walter Elliot took advantage of Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s generosity when times were good and then refused to lift a finger to help the impoverished widow afterwards.