Prayer: A beginner’s guide
THE GOOD THING about prayer is that there’s only one way to go wrong, and that’s not to do it. The best way to do it is to just get on and do it. If prayer at its simplest level is listening to God and talking to him, you don’t need long books to tell you how to do it, you just need a conviction that prayer is a good thing to do, that you’re someone God wants to hear from and that he’s worth talking to.
Is prayer a good thing to do? Never mind for the moment about whether prayer €˜works’ or not: Jesus prayed and he encouraged his disciples to pray too, so if we’re following him, we need to be praying. Full stop.
Are you someone God wants to hear from? The message of the Bible is that however unworthy, sinful and useless we may feel as human beings, God can’t wait to hear from us and is sitting on the edge of his seat like a lovestruck teenager, hand poised ready to pick up the phone the second it rings.
Is he worth talking to? He’s the one person who knows us inside out, the one person with infinite power at his fingertips, the one who has the true perspective on an entire world’s story. Not a slot machine to pay into in the hope of one day getting €˜an answer to prayer’, but a person who likes us.
How might you begin to pray? What sort of a person are you? Do you like a good gossip? Then gossip to God. Are you the strong silent type? Then be silent in his presence. Say hello... say the Lord’s Prayer ... say €˜Oh God’ and mean it... deliberately be silent and still for one minute ... read a story from a Gospel and imagine what you would say to Jesus if you were there... tell him about what is worrying you or thrilling you ... copy the great pray-ers of the Bible and of the Church... write a letter to him ... listen and look for a few moments in a place you consider holy... You can’t go wrong. Prayer is good. God longs to hear from you. He’s worth it.
Do please
come and join in this vital aspect of the work at St Johns.
Put it in your diary now!Prayer at St John'sThese are some of the opportunities for prayer at St John's…
| Saturday Prayer Breakfast | Prayer on Wednesdays
| Once a month, on the first Saturday of the month, from 8 am to 9 am in the Church Hall. A light breakfast is provided, for which there is no need to book - and at about 8.20 we share some topics for prayer.
| Once a month from 8 pm to 9 pm, in the vicarage. The hour will be broken up into different topics, focussing on different areas of church life and our world mission links as well.
| WIGS (Women's Intercessionary Group) |
| Thursdays 10.30 am at the home of June Clark
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HOT ROLLS FOR BREAKFAST
Hot rolls and croissants are back on the menu at the Saturday Prayer Breakfasts thanks to Brian and Janet Starr who have kindly given us an oven to replace the defunct one in the church hall kitchen. No doubt it won't be long before it's brought in to service for other events too.
Topics for prayer are compiled every week and are printed in the weekly noticesheet which is distributed in church every Sunday. The Prayer diary and weekly sheet are available online, click on the links on the home page.
If you want something included, please contact the vicarage, 321525 or
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. If you are not able to come to church and pick up a noticesheet, you can see one on this website, or pick up a copy from the box at the top of the steps that lead down from the car park to the church hall door.
Prayer ChainEvery Monday, or at other times when there is a special need, a short list of items for prayer is circulated by e-mail and phone. This is particularly suitable for more confidential or more urgent matters.
If you would like some person or situation to be prayed for in this way, please contact the vicar (see Contact Us page), or 321524). Please also tell him if you would like to join the chain - and either receive an e-mail or a phone message once a week or occasionally at other times as well.
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Last Updated on Friday, 05 June 2009 20:20 |
Prayer Meetings
