Skip to main content

June Prayer Column - Prayers shaken (and stirred)

Image
By
I tried a new kind of drawing the other day: buspics. When I’m on a bus I hold a pen over my sketch book and let the shaking of the bus make the movement, while I direct my hand slowly this way or that, as a picture emerges – I really don’t know what it will be to start with. It could be a house, or a river in a field, or in this case roadside trees. Things are a bit approximate, but something always appears. It’s fun, because I used to think I couldn’t draw on buses or trains.

What’s this got to do with prayer? After all you can pray well enough on a bus can’t you? Yes, of course, and what you see may very usefully trigger your prayers. But I was thinking of when your thoughts fly all over the place, like the point of my pen as the bus lurches round corners. We tend to think we need to be quiet and still to pray properly, but perhaps shaky-about prayers sometimes have a place too. If the Holy Spirit can handle groans too deep for words (Rom 8:26), surely he can equally well gather mental squiggles into something meaningful for God, when that’s all we can do.

I’m not saying such prayers are better than others, but they’re not useless either. The really important thing is to pray, linking with God, however you can, wherever you are.

Roy LS

A prayer for each week

Lord, it’s one of those times. I just can’t concentrate. Thoughts of prayer jump about in my head but won’t come together. Please can you accept them as the best I can do, at least for now, in your mercy. Amen.

Lord, I don’t know why, but I just can’t think straight at the moment. The words won’t come. I can’t say to you what I want, not properly. So please will you just accept my heart’s longing, through Jesus. Amen.

Lord, I’m all of a dither today. My mind won’t focus or settle down. Is it alright for me to pray just a thought here, a thought there? Please, Holy Spirit, can you spin those strands together somehow. Amen.

Lord, I’ve too much on, and there’s so much wrong – where do I begin? I no sooner start on one, than something else pushes in. Can I just name people, and problems, and places: will that do as prayer, today? Amen.

Your own prayers

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Soupermums! Wilsden Trinity Church

By
Do you have a young baby? Looking for something to do? If the answer is yes then Soupermums is for you. We're here from 11 until 1 every Monday, Mums (and dads) have a rest and the babies can play. Have a lovely sit down whilst you sip on a brew. Enjoy having someone else make lunch for you! Come along to Wilsden Church, meet the rest of the group. Lovely ladies cuddle the babies, whilst you eat your soup. Chat with the mums, new friends you will make. Swap tips and advice over a slice or two of cake. So what are you waiting for? come on along, For homemade treats, good company and if you're lucky a song. We're looking forward to meeting you, please come take a peek, 11-1 at Wilsden Trinity, we're here every week!


Celine V  (a Soupermum!)
Where can new mums go, to have lunch where it’s warm and safe and you get to eat fresh soup and homemade cakes, while someone holds your baby? Too big an ask? Not at Wilsden Trinity! Every Monday lunch time, young mums come together and turn the gi…
Post a Comment
Read more

Pancakes and Poems at Thornton

By
Pancakes and Poems, what a great evening we had on 13th February (Shrove Tuesday), in aid of 2nd Mile Project.

People were invited to come along for tea/supper and enjoy a variety of pancakes both savoury and sweet.


The selection was most tempting with fillings such as chilli. chicken and avocado, mushroom or cheese and onion. The sweet fillings were too many to mention, but my favourite was fresh fruits with ice cream – yum, yum.

Throughout the evening, many people had brought poems to read to everyone. The genre of this was amazing with funny, romantic, knowledgeable and even a little bit naughty.

It was good to be together with laughter and smiles all round. A special thank you to everyone who came and all who helped.

Elaine B, Thornton
Post a Comment
Read more

Church Building at Thackley!

By
How would a gingerbread church with icing doors and chocolate finger organ pipes appeal? Junior Church at Thackley had been busy building such an edifice for a couple of weeks, before the part-completed church was creatively used as the basis of an inspired service, put together by worship leader, Gill Dobson.

Using the Lectionary readings and carefully chosen hymns, poems and prayers, Gill gave us a timely reminder that our churches are the people, not the building, and that we are all part of God’s Church – all our churches belong to Him – not us!

We considered how the children were building their gingerbread church on the groundwork of the Junior Church leaders and how in a similar way we were building Thackley Church, in the sense that the church is who we are and what we do. We were asked to think how we might describe Thackley - a busy church? A traditional church? An ageing church? A lively church? A tired church? A caring church?

Post a Comment
Read more