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From Prayer to Action: Embracing the Call to Serve

Arthur Gonçalves

Oct 11, 2024

In the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, many of us have felt the weight of devastation around us. Homes have been destroyed, lives disrupted, and our community is in need like never before. In times like these, it is natural to turn to prayer, seeking God’s guidance, comfort, and strength. But as we lift our voices to heaven, we must also remember that there is a time for prayer and a time for action.


In John 20:17, we see Mary Magdalene encountering the risen Christ. Overwhelmed with joy, she instinctively reaches out to cling to Him, but Jesus responds with words that at first seem perplexing: "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father." As Charles Spurgeon so insightfully comments, this was not a dismissal of Mary’s love, but a call to action. Jesus had a mission for her—to go and tell the disciples the news of His resurrection. There was a time for intimate communion, but in that moment, the need for proclamation and action took precedence.


In the same way, while we may feel the impulse to remain in prayerful contemplation, embracing the comfort of God's presence, Christ's call to us in this season is clear: go to your brethren, go to your neighbors, and act. The work before us—the rebuilding, the serving, the loving—is part of our worship. As Spurgeon notes, "Sometimes work is better than worship; or rather, work is worship in its best form."

To pray is good; but to pray and then act is even better.

We, as the body of Christ, are the answers to many of our own prayers. We pray for the restoration of our city, but we are the hands and feet of Christ to do that restoring. This is precisely what God instructs the Israelites to do as they head into captivity in Jeremiah 29:7: 'But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.'" We pray for comfort and hope for those who are hurting, but we are also called to provide that comfort through our words and actions, seeking the welfare of our city in times of need. To pray is good; but to pray and then act is even better.


Consider the many in our community who, like Mary, are clinging to what they once knew—clinging to memories of homes that are now in ruins, clinging to the comfort they once had. Like Mary, they need a message of hope, but they also need practical help. Jesus didn’t leave Mary in her despair; He gave her a task that brought the message of resurrection to the world. We too must rise from our prayers and bring the love of Christ, not just in words, but in tangible ways.


Let me offer an illustration. Imagine standing in front of a broken house. We could stand there and pray all day for it to be rebuilt, and we should pray, but the house will not rise until we pick up the tools and begin to work. God often moves through His people—through their hands, their feet, their hearts. In the same way, we can stand before the broken lives in our city, but it will be our sacrifice, our efforts, and our labor of love that will help to rebuild them.


There is a sweetness in prayer, in sitting at the feet of Jesus like Mary of old, but there is an even greater joy when we rise and serve our neighbor, when we show them the gospel not just in words but in action.

Spurgeon puts it beautifully: "Go thou to my brethren, and carry to them some words of consolation; for while it is sweet for thee to embrace me, it is sweeter to me for thee to go and embrace my poor brother, and show him the way into my kingdom." There is a sweetness in prayer, in sitting at the feet of Jesus like Mary of old, but there is an even greater joy when we rise and serve our neighbor, when we show them the gospel not just in words but in action.


We believe in the sovereignty of God, but we also know that God often works through means—through the hands of His people. The Puritans had a saying: "Pray and work." This is our calling today. To pray fervently for our city and its people, but also to act boldly, sacrificially, and with the gospel on display in all we do.


So, Church, let us not merely be those who cling to the comforts of prayer. Let us be those who answer the call to go, to serve, and to rebuild. There will be time for contemplation, time for intimate communion with Christ in the quiet, but now is the time for action. As Jesus said to Mary, “Embrace me not”—there is work to be done.

Let us rise up in the strength of the Lord, not just to pray but to love our neighbors as ourselves. To sacrifice our time, our energy, and our resources for those in need. To put the gospel on display by serving, giving, and caring. For in doing so, we show the world the love of Christ in its truest form.


Call to Action: If you are able to volunteer, join our efforts to rebuild homes and restore hope. If you can give, consider donating to the relief efforts for those who have lost everything. Let us be the hands and feet of Christ in this season, shining His light into the darkness of this disaster. There is a time to pray, and there is a time to act. Now is the time to act.


May the Lord be glorified in our service, and may His gospel shine brightly as we labor in love.

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