"But of Course the Enemy Will Not Meantime Be Idle."

"But of course the Enemy will not meantime be idle." So says the senior demon Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood; referring to God and prayer. In his book, The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis shares the imaginative correspondences between these two demons, regarding how the junior tempter Wormwood, might lead his human astray.

Screwtape goes on to warn Wormwood, "Whenever there is prayer there is danger of His own immediate action." What a great point of instruction, even from a demon. Prayer moves God to act on behalf of his people. I believe God always responds to our prayers, always answers. I remind myself the answer might come in the form of immediate action, a delayed response, or even no, but there is always an answer.

Screwtape continues and reveals an even greater truth, "He is cynically indifferent to the dignity of His position, and ours, as pure spirits, and to human animals on their knees He pours out self-knowledge in a quite shameless fashion." The one true, all knowing and all-powerful God, through prayer, interacts with his people with absolute abandon. God uses prayer to engage his people and share with them knowledge of Himself. He does so without contempt for their status as created beings.

In these lines Screwtape has shared with Wormwood his insight regarding the power of prayer but also his true lack of insight regarding is enemy, God. Yes, God is powerful and capable of immediate response to the prayers of his people but he is motivated to do so out of his concern for them. His love, his grace, and his mercy are the key components that bring about his response and here is where Screwtape's understanding fails.

So today let us find comfort and take hope in this: "Whenever there is prayer, there is danger of His own immediate action." God is never far from those who pray and he is never idle.  He longs to pour out knowledge of himself to his people.

RefRev