Dear Friends,
This morning I received an email containing a very fine prayer which the writer said that he had written and subsequently prayed every day, and which had helped him through some difficult situations. This prompted me to think about the nature of prayer and how it can help in all sorts of situations and ways. One definition of prayer puts it like this:
Prayer is giving our attention to God in a two-way spiritual relationship where we talk to God and also listen to Him. We don’t pray on our own, but alongside Christians throughout the ages and around the world. Prayer brings us in touch with God and others, and Christians pray in the name of Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we pray, we offer every situation to God, and God uses our prayers to bring love and justice into the world.
Our world situation at present is very worrying at a human level. What is going to happen in Ukraine, and what will the consequences be for the rest of the world? What is going to happen with Covid and what will the consequences be? What is going to happen for the thousands of children who have missed so much education and now find themselves unable to go to school? What is going to happen for all those whose mental health has been damaged by all the uncertainties we have all endured and continue to endure? What is going to happen …? In human terms we do not know the answers, and we can all feel that the situation is quite overwhelming.
But as Christians we know that we don’t have to bear these burdens alone. As Christians we know that we can place them in God’s hands and that he knows what his future plan is. So let us do just that. Let us pray with all the intensity of which we are capable, for a resolution to the Ukraine situation, let us pray that Covid will be controlled, let us pray for the children, let us pray for all those who are struggling with mental health issues, and let us, wherever possible, turn our prayers into practical action, for we know that our God can use all our gifts to make the world a better place.
With love and blessings,
Marion
Categories: Minister's Blog