At the beginning of St. Paul’s second letter to the church in Thessalonica he writes, as was his custom, “We always pray for you.” The idea of praying for one another can almost feel like a cliche. We often say the words too glibly. However, I remember when my mother died how consoling it was to hear those words: “I’ll be praying for you and your family.” It made me realize the great power that prayer possesses in the building up and strengthening of the Christian community. Let us take this as a reminder to include praying for others as part of our own practice. You will never know this side of eternity how powerful prayer can be.
