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Prayer Column - November 2020

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Of teacups and water meters

I’m quite good at facing life’s storms, until they actually happen! The latest was the water bill. It showed our usage was up when we were confidently expecting it to be less. Once I probably wouldn’t have noticed, but now they highlight such things, pointing to possible reasons, none of which applied except the possibility of a leak in the pipe on our side of the meter. Oh dear! Could we have a leak? How could we find out? And if we had, who could we get to fix it?

A day and a night of worry before sheltering sense came to our rescue. I looked at past bills to compare usage, and that revealed that our current bill was not unusually high after all, especially as we haven’t been away on holiday recently – so, no leak, much relief, calm restored, silly me! Oh, but I was thankful.

But can that really rather trivial storm in a water meter be applied to more important worries? I think so.

  1. We live in a world of upsets. It just is. Jesus told us to expect them, even after we follow him (it may even get worse).
  2. We have an enemy who will use any opportunity to unsettle us. It’s a form of temptation not to trust Jesus.
  3. Our Lord is Lord of all. No storm is beyond his power to calm, and he provides a way out of every temptation (Mt 8:24ff; 1 Cor 10:13).
  4. And when calm is restored, grateful praise is our proper response.
Roy Lorrain-Smith

A prayer for each week

Almighty God, great beyond measure, above and beyond all storms that unsettle us, please help me trust you in all life’s reverses and upsets. Amen.

Invincible Lord, whose command and control is complete, as one day will be acknowledged by all, please help me to live under your rule every day. Amen.

Foreseeing God, whom nothing can surprise but who surprises us every day with your love and mercy, please grant me inner peace here and now. Amen.

Unshakeable Lord, whose word is more stable and sure than this earth with its tumults and shudders, please help me trust all your promises. Amen.

Ever-present Lord, with us in Spirit always, and accessible 24/7, please give us faith to Pause and Reflect, and then Ask for help and Yield to you. Amen.

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