LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 103

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Joy:fully Lutheran: Pray Without Ceasing
1 THESSALONIANS 5:17

Rev. Josemon (Joe) Hoem
Pastor, Immanuel Lutheran Church and School, Murphysboro, Illinois
67th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod • July 23, 2019
Australian author and Lutheran theologian John
Kleinig likes to say, “if you ever want to burden a
Christian’s conscience, just ask them about their prayer
life.” This is true!
Paul tells us in 1 Thess. 5:17 that we are to “pray without
ceasing.” When we hear this as Law, we immediately
become burdened or overwhelmed by this seemingly
unachievable obligation. But for the Christian, the
encouragement to pray without ceasing is not intended
as an obligation or burden but is meant to be a gift and
a gracious invitation to talk directly to our heavenly
Father whose ear is always open to hearing our prayer.
I think about the hours I spent in the arms of
Ceceliamma, an Indian nun who prayed for me the
night before I was adopted by my American family. We
cried together as she prayed that the Lord’s will be
done. I am also reminded of how my parents prayed for
me before I was born and how they taught me to pray
for my future bride. My wife, Kristin, and I now pray for
our children and the plans God has in store for them.
Despite God’s gracious invitation, we may not always
want to talk about prayer, because it can be too
personal and, at times, it can even be painfully difficult.
Yet, even in the midst of our struggles, what a joy it is
to “pray without ceasing” for all those whom God has
placed in our path.

Two of my classmates and I took a little detour from the
rest of the group and traveled to the orphanage in
which I had spent the first five years of my life.
We arrived late at night and I was surprised to see
Ciciliamma there. Even though she no longer worked at
the orphanage, she traveled two weeks prior by train
and car to make sure she did not miss my arrival. When
she saw me, she cried and embraced me. She did not
speak English, but we communicated our admiration
for each other perfectly.
The next morning, she walked me around the
orphanage. She held my hand and said my name over
and over. Then we got to a small room and she pointed
to it. I asked the translator, “Is that the room she is
staying in now?” Then somehow in English,
Ciciliamma answered and said, “No that is the room
that I held, cried and prayed for you the night before
you left and went to America.” She pulled out a small
clutch and said, “I have held this close to my heart for
all these years; waiting for you to come back to see me.”
It was a picture of the two of us.

PRAYER IS A LOVING AND FAITHFUL WORK, NOT
A BURDEN
The year was 1973, but I am not sure of the exact date.
The reason I don’t know the date is because I don’t
actually know when I was born. Story has it that I was
left abandoned near the steps of St. Joseph’s Orphanage
in Kerala State, India. It was there in the orphanage that
I first learned about prayer. There was a nun, by the
name of Ciciliamma, who was very motherly and kind
to me.
I had an opportunity to go back to the orphanage in
March 2012, when Concordia Theology Seminary, Fort
Wayne, set up a study abroad/mission trip to India.
Convention Essays

PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2019 (67TH) LCMS CONVENTION | 103