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Prayer Column - July 2020

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What is God saying? 

It is of course up to each one of us to listen to what God may be saying to us in our circumstances (as well as through the Bible), not least when things are altered radically, as by this coronavirus. What is he showing us, or calling us to do: repent; believe afresh; change our behaviour; or refocus our patterns of spending and giving, and our actions; or whatever? Listening is always important, but perhaps especially so now. 

But just as we don’t read other people’s letters, we must resist the temptation to peek into what God may be saying to others, unless of course they ask us to because they need help with reading, or understanding, or deciding. And in that case we must make very sure we don’t misread or mislead: our task would be to help the recipient hear clearly the message the sender intended – and that may require of us a careful listening attitude. 

However, as members of Christ’s body, the Church, we have another listening role: to hear what God is saying to us as a Church. How should the Church respond to the present call/crisis/opportunity? We may or may not be in a leadership role, but all of us have ears to hear and hearts and minds to pray. We can ask the Lord to make his message clear, and that we all (and leaders in particular) are directed aright. And we can ask for the boldness we all need to respond as we should: repent; believe afresh; change our behaviour; or refocus our patterns of spending and giving, and our actions; or whatever – and to worship the one true God in spirit and in truth, wherever we are, proclaiming Jesus as Lord. 

Roy Lorrain-Smith 

 A prayer for each week 

Dear Lord God, both merciful and mighty, please have compassion on our frailty in the face of this threat, and give us bold strength to endure, in faith, through Jesus. Amen. 

Great God of All, who speaks to your people is ways we can understand, please still our hears to listen and open our ears to hear all that you are saying to us at this time. Amen. 

Heavenly Father, calling us into families of faith, please unite us in your love and help us listen together to your words of comfort and discipline in our present plight. Amen. 

Mighty God, against whom no evil can prevail, please help us walk with Jesus, our Lord, hanging on in there, and doing his work his way, as he directs, for your glory. Amen. 

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