relationship with god

Over the last number of years, I have never ceased to be amazed at how prayer can be answered, although often it is in the way we least expect it!!

Prayer is something of a mystery. (p.s thanks to Jason Ingram for reflective artwork )

We don’t know exactly how it works but we can pray corporately in church if we are church attenders, as a small group or friends praying spoken or silent prayer, or as privately as individuals, yet in faith we pray!!

I often find that I am praying ‘on the hoof’… let me explain. Sometimes I can pray in the car driving to a meeting or a visit, asking God just to be with me and the situation that I will find myself in ; sometimes I can pray while on the phone being a listening ear to someone’s pain and hurt, other times I can be gardening thanking God the world we live in , or listening to the news on the TV or radio, to the Suffering and Injustice, or the Joys and laughter. Jesus often spoke about prayer He gave examples of prayer, of occassioanly seeking solace, of discussing what prayer is , and even instructing his friends with what words to say.

I am no expert on Prayer, but prayer has been my companion through difficult times and joyous ones

Here are some hints and tips that I have used to help people in their prayer life

Prayer is the means by which we can deepen our relationship with God. It is like a telephone line, and when we pick up the phone we have a one-way trunk call to God.
Prayer is not just talking to God about people or situations for which we have concern; we also need to give God time to speak to us … and that means we need to listen as well.
Prayers can be said anytime during the day or night…whatever you are doing.
If it is helpful, praying can be done alone quietly in a room, or as a group.
5. I doesn’t matter too much about the quantity of people praying, but what does matter is the quality of prayer … it needs to come from the heart.
If we are serious about our relationship with God then we must be serious about prayer.
Sometimes we may know individuals who cannot pray because they are bereaved, depressed, or ill. It is up to us as disciples of Jesus, to pray for them on their behalf. We should pray for God to bless them and give them strength and an inner peace.
Other times we may see issues in the media, e.g. conflict, injury, and global disasters. Here we should pray to God for guidance, and wisdom.
We must remember that God knows our hearts before we even ask, so even if we struggle to find words to describe what to pray for, God is there already.