The Prayer of the Day for Pentecost 15A, begins, “O God, our refuge and strength, the author of all godliness, hear the devout prayers of Your Church.”

What a challenge for God’s Church to prayer devoutly, particularly this little 54-word conversation with God who is our life’s anchor and vitality.  All our holiness originates with God.

We ask God to listen and act.  Whoever wrote this prayer is expecting a lot us as we gather for worship amid the commotion that is part of the coming together of God’s people.  Mom and Dad corralling children to pay attention, Grandparents making faces and waving to grandchildren, late arrivals seeking a vacant spot in the pew, the choir readying themselves for their anthem, the pastor trying to remember who it was who asked him to pray for whatshisname thirty seconds before walking up the aisle to begin worship, and the arthritic hoping we can sit down soon.

Devout means earnest, heartfelt, (The Germans call it Herzlichkeit).  Thus, we depend on God to look within us and not on our outside, perhaps not even what is running through our minds at that moment. Look within us for that trusting faith that God might grant us what we ask in faith so that we also may obtain it.

Prayer: O God, our refuge and strength, the author of all godliness, hear the devout prayers of your church, especially in times of persecution, and grant that what we ask in faith we may obtain.”  All this we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.