Concerning prayer: Matthew 6 “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you”
I was astounded at the many examples of powerful prayers across the Bible (too many to mention) but a few stood out. Daniel’s prayer (Daniel 9) Moses praying in Exodus 3 and Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samual 1 and of course examples in Matthew 14 and Luke 5 of Jesus withdrawing into lonely or quiet places to pray…We can’t forget Jesus’ agonising prayer in Gethsemane and his cry of desolation on the cross
For me, I’ve come to realise that whilst arrow prayers are fine, Lord help me, Lord have mercy, Jesus live in me, Lord forgive me, Father, Abba …sometimes we need just to take ourselves away somewhere quiet, sit, reflect, and spend quality time in conversation with God…and have time to hear God’s response too; God is with us always.
Hymn 521 (StF)
Here as we kneel, here as we pray, here as we plead so many words to say, so you are here, never to leave, pouring peace into the hollows of our hearts. And you give the strength for coping just for today, and you grant us peace in going your way, and your power flows where faith is faltering, never weakening, never altering. Lord, we believe that your grace is sufficient for today.
In Jesus’ name we pray Amen
Hazel Jackson – MWiB Ambassador for Lincolnshire
