“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way,
you will fulfill the law of Christ” Galatians 6:2.
Have you ever looked carefully at a spider’s web and marvelled at its construction? The spider web has several purposes, including gathering food or safely moving its young from one place to another. The web is made from a silk material produced inside its body. When the spider begins to build its web, it releases a single strand of silt. It needs a strong foundation to create the web, so it may use the strand to lower itself to a solid foundation, or it may throw a strand into the wind expecting it to attach something substantial. The spider continues to produce these threads from within until it creates a web. As the spider waits for the web to perform its intended purpose, it does not stop working on the web and continually reinforces it with more strands so it will not fail.
We all need strong support to hold us up in this incredibly confusing world. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit has been given to those who believe in Jesus’ message, and we can use this power within us to help change our lives and those around us. Like a spider, we should start our day building and reinforcing our foundation. Through prayer, we can throw out pieces of ourselves to the Holy Spirit, wait and watch. As we pray, the Holy Spirit will remind us of circumstances in our community and family that are causing anxiety, worry and lack of hope. So, we drop another prayer. Your heart has been breaking as you think about your child who no longer goes to church or believes in Jesus. So, you let loose with another prayer. As you pray, you are encouraged, and you begin to pray for your neighbour’s son, the staff at your local coffee shop and you begin to add strands to the ones that are already in place.
After a while, you have a web of overlapping prayers, and as you sit, watch and pray, you are comforted, knowing God answers all prayers.
Each moment, prayer stands are fluttering in the wind; the Holy Spirit breathes meaning into them as they go to our Father in heaven. We are strengthened, knowing that we are not alone in our prayers. Maybe members of our church family have been praying similar prayers to ours, ensuring many prayer webs are being spread around the city. Scripture share that united, we can become stronger; stronger in our faith and our relationships. (“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” Ecclesiastes 4;12.). We should not be shy to ask others to pray with us; in fact, we should have a prayer partner so that we, not our prayers, can become more robust.
Prayer works. It feeds the Church body and the soul.
Pray often, and don’t give up.