Skip to main content

Prayer Column - May 2021

Image
By

Only if...

Photo by berenice martinez on Unsplash
The conditional ‘if’ is a big part of our lives:
· If you’re good all afternoon you can have an ice cream
· If you finish the marathon you’ll get a medal and a T-shirt

Effort is rewarded, but effort is essential to get the reward! Obvious, but not always popular: the naughty child screams for the ice cream anyway; levelling lobbies want everyone to get a prize, even for just starting.

So perhaps it’s not surprising that we rejoice in all the benefits that God promises, but sometimes tend to overlook the ‘if’ bits, such as in:
· (Jesus will) present us holy and blameless and above reproach before God, if indeed we continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that we have heard (Col 1:22-23).
· You are my friends if you do what I command you (Jn 15:14).

Sometimes the ‘if’ is implied, as in:
· The one who endures to the end will be saved (Mk 13:12-13).

The rewards of ‘enduring to the end’ are vast and glorious, but the Christian road is demanding and calls for serious commitment. However, remember that we are not alone: we have the Holy Spirit’s help and guidance anytime and always by prayer; we have each other for mutual encouragement as we all go through the mill; and we can be strengthened by praying for each other on the way.

Roy Lorrain-Smith

A prayer for each week

Dear Lord, I praise you for calling me to faith, but please help me now: I get tired, I get tempted. I need to sense your presence, urging me on. Amen.

Dear Lord, it all seemed so plain: I believed, and I promised to follow. But now it’s not so obvious. Many argue against – please convince me afresh. Amen.

Dear Lord, the world declares that I am wrong to believe all you did and all you taught. Please give me courage to hold my faith firm to the end. Amen.

Dear Lord, ‘Count the cost,’ you said, and now I see why! I do still believe, but I feel I’ve hit a brick wall. Please can you show me the way through. Amen.

Dear Lord, thank you so very much for others in the faith I know. I am so cheered by their example. Please help me to encourage others likewise. Amen.

Your own prayers




Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Biblefresh Festival 11 June 2011 - bookings now open

By
Bradford North and South Circuits invite you to their city-wide Biblefresh Festival Saturday 11 June 2011 Full details and booking form
Post a Comment
Read more

Godly Ways 8-10 March 2013

By
Godly Ways CODEC  and the  Dales Biblical Literacy Project  present: A weekend of Worship – Teaching – Workshops. WHEN : March 8th to 10th 2013 (Starts Friday evening) WHERE : Elm Ridge Methodist Church and Bondgate Methodist Church, Darlington and Ingleton Methodist Church SPEAKERS: Revd. Professor David Wilkinson  is a Methodist minister and Principal of St. John’s College, Durham. Well-known as a writer, speaker and broadcaster, David has wide-ranging interests, although he is especially concerned about science and religion. Revd. Dr. Peter Phillips  is a Methodist minister and Director of Codec, a research centre housed at St. John’s College, Durham. For many years, Pete served on the staff of Cliff College. He has a great interest in the New Testament and in communicating the faith in a digital age. Revd. Ron Willoughby  is an ordained minister with the Southern Baptist Convention in the United States, now living in this cou...
Post a Comment
Read more

Summer Coffee Evenings raise over £1,200

By
Wilsden Trinity Church We would like to say a big thank you to all who supported us for your help in making our Summer Coffee Evenings such a brilliant success. The evenings have proved to be very popular and have been really well attended, attracting people from Wilsden village as well as members of other churches in the circuit.  Together we have munched our way through a tonne of biscuits and home-made scones and consumed gallons of coffee and tea. We have baked and bric-a-bracked and book sorted and are all exhausted and half a stone heavier than we were in May but feel it has been well worth the effort. In addition to enjoying very pleasant social evenings, with God's help we have succeeded in raising over £1,200 - approximately £250 each for the five chosen charities: Yorkshire Air Ambulance , Parkinson Society , Alzheimer's Society , Multiple Sclerosis Society and Martin House Children's Hospice . We are already planning for next summer and look forward t...
Post a Comment
Read more