Recently, while visiting a church as a guest speaker, I sat in the front row, reading the bulletin before the service began. Three words that I read brought back memories from long ago. Those three words were, "Ora et Labora." As a young boy, I suddenly recalled my grandmother attending a ladies society called "Ora et Labora."

How fitting these words, meaning "pray and work," are for the Christian life! It is easy in the Christian life, to spiritualize prayer to the point where it seems to be disconnected from what is happening in the world around us. Yet prayer is a vital part of ministering to other believers and to seeking God’s leading and direction in our own lives.

God’s plan for the believer includes both praying and working, not as disconnected parts of life, but as integrated with each other. At the same time, there are some Christians who have a special ministry in prayer. Years ago, while serving as a pastor, there was a woman who had been confined to her bed for years. While there, God used her tremendously as a prayer warrior.

In Mark 13, Jesus compares the Son of man as the man who is taking a journey, leaving his house, and giving authority to his servants, giving every man his work. God has equipped each believer with spiritual gifts, severally as He wills, to be able to complete the work that He has for that Christian to perform. While we are all called to win souls, and to edify the brethren, God does put different believers in different areas in which to minister.

There is to be no disconnect between prayer and the ministry God has called us to. When Jesus told His disciples to pray, He said, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest." While the emphasis is on the need for prayer, it was immediately followed by His commission to send the disciples out as "lambs among wolves."

One of my most frequent prayer requests is that my eyes would stay upon the Savior, for without Him I can do nothing. Prayerlessness while being caught up in the work of the ministry is counterproductive. Yet, all prayer and no work is also not God’s intention. He desires for us to have a balance of "praying always in all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" coupled with fulfilling our responsibility to go out and do the work He has called us to do. As we go out to do His work we will truly realize our own inadequacy, understanding that it is impossible to complete God’s work in our own strength or our own wisdom.

God has called me to minister on behalf of churches, pastors, and the families of Illinois, working specifically with the Illinois legislature. It does not take long, while working with the legislature, to realize how insufficient we are in ourselves. It is very easy to see that we are not in control of our own "destiny." There are constant reminders that I need to trust God to lead, guide, give wisdom and strength, so the work can be accomplished.

While we are saved by God’s grace, it is important to remember that we also can only minister effectively by grace. Not one of us is better than those around us. Not one of us is qualified to minister based upon our own wisdom or attributes. By God’s grace, we have been given spiritual gifts to minister to others, not because we are deserving of ministering to others. As you and I grow as Christians, we begin to understand more of what God’s plan for our life includes.

We sing the song, "We’ll work ‘til Jesus comes…." As a lobbyist, I can spend all my time "working" but fail in my daily walk with Jesus Christ. Without prayer, without dependence upon God for His leading and guidance in the day to day decisions which are to be made, I am helpless. Yet, if I spend all my time on my knees and fail to talk to legislators and committee members about bills that are coming up for a vote, I will also not accomplish the work God has called me to do.

We must have hearts that are willing to work, willing to do whatever God calls us to do. At the same time, with hearts prepared, we must seek God’s direction in how to accomplish the work. In 2005, we have seen the introduction of over 6,100 pieces of legislation in the Illinois General Assembly. Without a willingness to work, I would not be able to review those pieces of legislation. Without a desire to seek God’s leading and God’s wisdom, I would never have the wisdom or discernment to understand what positions to take with different pieces of legislation.

Because of twelve previous years of lobbying, I know and understand that I must carefully and prayerfully choose which legislative fights I will get involved with. With over 300 pieces of legislation on my "watch" list, it is impossible to testify on every bill.

For each of us, as Christians, there are times in which we can and will feel overwhelmed by the task before us. When my desk is cluttered, my mind is cluttered. Graciously, God has given me a wife with tremendous organizational skills, who helps as my executive secretary, going through stacks of papers, organizing and filing them. When I need something, she knows just where to look. Having my desk clear, setting up my schedule, planning which bills need testimony and which bills need lobbying efforts helps keep me organized.

Praying about the issues I am facing and where I need to be in my daily schedule, helps clear the desk of my mind, making it easier to understand what needs to be accomplished. My mind has a limited number of things that can be handled without overloading and bogging down. My Palm operating system adds outside memory to my mind, giving me a tool that enhances my abilities to get things done. When I pray, God brings things to mind that I would otherwise forget (and I enter them into my Palm operating system with an alarm reminding me of the task to be done). Prayer and work are so integrated, that my work must be done prayerfully, or it will not be done carefully.

The night before He was to choose the twelve disciples, Jesus spent the entire night in prayer. Paul did not hesitate to request prayer in His epistles to the churches. The New Testament is full of references to prayer and the need to pray for those who are spiritual leaders. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we too must not hesitate to ask for prayer from others, for God has intended that we work together as members of the body of Christ.

James tells us that the "effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." While we are given the righteousness of Christ when we trust Him as our Savior, James is talking about Christians living a righteous life. Righteous living is not fulfilling a list of "do’s and don’ts," but stepping forth positively in doing the positive things God has planned for you to do. Righteous living requires us to step out by faith, trusting God’s promises and following His leading in our lives.

"Pray and work." As believers seek God’s leading and wisdom to minister (work) effectively in whatever God has called us to do, we will work side by side to accomplish things that are far greater than anything we ever have imagined. "Ora et Labora."