C. S. Lewis’s Letter on Prayer, March 31, 1958

On March 31, 1958, English apologist and Christian writer C. S. Lewis wrote from England to his American correspondent, Mary Van Deusen, later published in Letters to an American Lady. In a brief, pastoral admission, Lewis described the common interruptions that derail prayer—not dramatic temptations, but ordinary “tiny” concerns tied to the next hour. By naming this quietly persistent struggle, he treated it as a real battleground of the soul rather than a trivial annoyance.

Lewis (1898–1963), long associated with Oxford and Cambridge, was known for defending the faith with clarity. Yet this private counsel shows a different kind of strength: honesty about weakness and a steady refusal to surrender the life of devotion. The setting is not a public debate hall but the everyday rhythm of correspondence, where one believer helps another persevere.

Mary Van Deusen, an American widow who wrote Lewis for encouragement, represents countless Christians who carry burdens without an audience. Her letters gave Lewis occasion to speak plainly about the inner life—how faith is often tested in minutes, not milestones. The exchange underscores Christian fellowship across distance, age, and circumstance: a reminder that God strengthens His people through ordinary means.

The heroism Lewis commends is not spectacle but faithfulness—returning to God again and again when small tasks, worries, or comforts compete for attention. Scripture dignifies this kind of perseverance: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Such prayer is less a continuous stream of words than a continual turning of the heart back to God.

Lewis’s insight also aligns with the call to steady-minded devotion: “Be alert and sober-minded. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The prowling often comes quietly, through impatience, self-importance, or the anxious need to control the next hour. Small distractions can become small surrenders—unless met with small obediences.

This letter’s enduring value lies in its encouragement: holiness is frequently won in unnoticed choices. When prayer is interrupted, the answer is not despair but return. The repeated humble return is itself an act of love, and love—patient, steadfast, and sincere—is the mark of true discipleship.