Is it possible to be over-devoted to prayer? It’s the age-old question framed as, “Too heavenly-minded to be of any earthly use.” How do we prioritise both prayer and people? Is that even possible? Listen to how Robin Daniels puts it in his book The Virgin Eye.
“Like the oscillation of a pendulum, the wider the swing towards God in prayer, the braver – and more unselfish – will be our service of love to his people.” 396
Some are concerned that an overemphasis on prayer and other spiritual disciplines is self-indulgent. Such practices, it is said, incline us away from usefulness to people. However, Jesus was the most devoted person to prayer possible, and yet he was also the most loving and practically helpful towards people.
Jesus and prayer
“In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1.35
“While it was still dark” tells us that prayer was more important to Jesus than extra shuteye.
“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5.16
The phrase “often withdrew” indicates that extra time to pray was not a rarity but a common priority for Jesus.
Jesus and people
“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat… Jesus saw a large crowd; he had compassion on them and taught them many things.” Mark 6.30–34
Jesus plans and needs to rest, but compassion interrupts him.
“When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place… When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Matthew 14.13–14
Even in his grief (after John the Baptist’s death), people come first.
The prayer and people pendulum
Instead of viewing people as an impediment to prayer, or prayer as a barrier to loving people, our goal could be to swing the pendulum as wide as possible in both directions. Towards God in devoted prayer and towards people in practical love.
Have you found, as I have, that in serving people, I find myself praying in the midst of the act? Just as prayer swings across to action, so action swings back to prayer. At times, the swing is so rapid that it’s a blur. The two can become effectively simultaneous.
Our goal is to be rooted in Christ (Ephesians 3.17). He was both a prayer warrior and a people warrior. Therefore, we want and need the life of prayer and the life of love to be one and the same, for what would a life of love be without prayer? And what would a life of prayer be without love? Neither would look like the life of Christ.
Conclusion
So can we be over-devoted to prayer? Only if prayer turns us inward and leaves us untouched by love. But that is not prayer as Jesus practised it. True prayer draws us into the heart of God, and His heart always moves us toward people. The more openly we attend to God, the more freely we give ourselves away. Prayer and love are not rivals competing for our time. They are partners shaping our lives. When prayer sends us back into the world with compassion, courage, and open hands, we are not too heavenly-minded at all. We are finally of some earthly good.
What do you think? I’d love to hear your ideas.
Your brother, Malcolm
