John Writes

Prayer is such a fundamental part of being a Christian and we see this in the whole of Jesus’ life recorded throughout the New Testament. At the most challenging times, when he was in the garden in Gethsemane (Matthew 26.36-46) and at the time of his crucifixion ( Luke 23.46),  to happier times when he gave thanks to God for his revelation (Matthew 11.25) and at the feeding of the 5000 (Matthew 14.13-21). But one of the most powerful passages that I have found about prayer is in John 17, as Jesus prays for his disciples.

Prayer is all about a conversation with God; it involves listening as well as speaking. So often we only pray to God when we are in the darkest places or want something, and more often than not we will suggest to Him what the solution is.

We have to trust God to decide what the best answer is for us in our current situation.

Jesus gave us that special prayer that most of us use at least once a week where we pray ‘Your will be done.’ We have to trust in God; that is what faith is all about; and as it says in Proverbs 3.5 ‘trust in the Lord with all you might and be not wise in your own sight.’

I believe that a regular prayer life is so important. Not only does this give each of us an opportunity to be still and to share with God our worries and concerns, but also to give thanks for all the amazing things that we have in our lives. It gives us the chance to start the day afresh and to be empowered to carry out the tasks that we need to do, or to end the day by giving thanks for the good things that have happened and to share the burdens that we may have been carrying.

If you are not already doing so, I would encourage each of you to try to set aside a little time each day for prayer, just quietly telling God what is in your thoughts. Why not give it a go, it really can make a power of difference both to your life and the world.

With every blessing

John

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *