Pause And Pray At 3
by Jim Elzerman

Roger Schoenhals, founder of PAPA3, is an ordained elder in the FM church and served several years as editor of Light and Life Magazine.

What started as a personal quest for spiritual vitality has become a network of believers committed to a special time of prayer. PAPA3 (Pause and Pray at 3) is a group of men, women and young people who desire to draw closer to their heavenly Father through prayer. Roger Schoenhals, who started this unique prayer initiative, states "PAPA3ers are located all over and include Catholics, Baptists, Free Methodists, Presbyterians, Nazarenes, retirees, pastors, missionaries, professionals and politicians."

In his invitation to join PAPA3, Schoenhals shares "…during my many years as a Christian, I have found it difficult to maintain spiritual vitality consistently throughout the day. Even though I may start the morning with a personal quiet time and walk into the day with a singing heart, I often find myself dragging, spiritually, by suppertime."

The discovery of three references in the New Testament regarding prayer at three led Schoenhals to try setting aside time to pray at three in the afternoon each day. A couple of failed attempts to establish the habit didn't dissuade him from trying once again. He writes, "The potential of a regular break in the day for a moment of prayer and reflection continued to haunt me. There ought to be a way to succeed! And then I thought: What if I could draw others into the practice? What a difference it could mean to them! Perhaps bringing together a network of "prayer partners" would elicit a degree of accountability and a mutual adventure that could provide the impetus for consistent practice, for all of us. The possibilities danced in my mind."

It was on September 18, 2000, while having lunch with a pastor friend that Roger Schoenhals was finally successful in launching his prayer initiative. Schoenhals remembers, "While we were sharing thoughts about our spiritual journeys, I decided to tell him about my pray-at-three idea. To my delight, he picked up on it and said he wanted to try it with me . . . Monday through Thursday, at least for a couple of months. So we made a covenant to pray at three." He goes on to relate, "So my friend and I started "meeting" for prayer at three . . . and e-mailing each other along the way. Another friend joined the prayer circle and soon the three of us were finding hearty companionship in this new adventure. As we have passed the idea along to others, we have found further interest and involvement." From that beginning, PAPA3 has grown into a worldwide network.

If you are interested in more information about this unique program, or to sign up as a participant, you can correspond with Roger Schoenhals via email at PAPA3@pgtoday.com. Messages to participants (which include a daily devotional by Schoenhals) are sent as "blind copies" so that your e-mail address remains confidential and others will not know who is and who is not part of the network. Participants are asked to pray for at least 3 minutes at 3:00 p.m. (their time) Monday through Thursday. Their commitment is for three months at a time and can be renewed.

When asked what impact PAPA3 has had on his life personally, Roger Schoenhals responded: "PAPA3 has blessed my life immeasurably. It has taken a good year to personally get into the 3 p.m. groove to where it is rare that I miss this time of prayer. In fact, early in the afternoon I find myself anticipating the appointment, checking my watch periodically and looking forward to how I will spend the time. I think it has sensitized me to prayer at other times during the day (and night), as well. The fellowship with others via the Internet has also been rewarding. I am a prayer partner with many folks whom I've never met face to face . . . and over time, we get acquainted. I receive wonderful notes of praise, devotional insights and various prayer requests. And, certainly, I have benefited from the discipline of writing mediations for the prayer network."