During the summers here at the Parkway church, we suspend our regular classes on Wednesday evenings. In lieu of these, we rotate each Wednesday night between singing, scripture reading, praying, a combination of these three activities and, on months with five Wednesdays, various men "make talks."

In a tourist-oriented town like Corpus Christi it isn't unusual to have visitors during the summer months and it's interesting to listen to the comments about our Wednesday assemblies. We don't get many remarks about the evenings when all we do is sing, or combine songs, prayers and scripture reading, or when we have various men speak---such assemblies are pretty "traditional" among churches of Christ. But it is interesting to see how brethren react when they find out that we have one assembly in which all we do is pray. One person, upon learning this is all we did for an hour, asked with some amazement, "what in the world can you find to pray about for that long?" Another remarked: "you do what for an hour?" No similar concern is expressed about finding something to sing about for an hour, or make talks on for that length of time. But when it comes to prayer, that's different. What's the problem here; why the concern over a congregation praying for an hour; what is it about praying that causes some to raise questions and have reservations?

It could just be that we've so scrupulously avoided doing something that appears "denominational" that we have deprived ourselves of engaging in some very beneficial practices. Be careful: it is Pharisees that "strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel" (Matt.23:23-24).

Another reason an hour of prayer might concern some is that we are afraid to express the thoughts of our hearts, preferring rather to use the trite phrases that we've grown accustomed to repeating as a liturgy. But it's hard to imagine Ezra "praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself" (Ezra 10:1) or Elijah, who "prayed fervently" (Jas.5:17-18), using some worn-out cliches they'd heard all their lives.

Have we forgotten (or worse, don't know) what was said about the Lord: "And it came to pass in these days, that he went out into the mountain to pray; and he continued all night in prayer to God." (Lk.6:12)? If the Lord could find something to pray about all night, surely a group of those who "ought...to walk even as he walked" (1Jo.2:6) should have no problem praying together for an hour.

Are we unaware that when Peter and John were admonished and released by the Sanhedrin, "they came to their own company...And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord..." (Acts 4:23-f); and that when Peter was in prison, "prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him" (Acts12:5)? Were these just the prayers after the third song? And when Paul mentioned "your prayers to God for me" (Rom.15:30) was this the "dismissal prayer"? Are these examples not for our imitation as much as "upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread" (Acts20:7)?

Whatever the reasons, we need to reconsider our reservations about having assemblies that are devoted to nothing but prayer. It is much easier for brethren who fervently and sincerely pray together for an hour to work together profitably and harmoniously. I find it difficult to believe that "in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Phil.4:6) would not include praying together.