|
When you pray, coincidences happen…
Nearly everyone prays. In fact 75% of sceptical Britons admit to praying at least once a week. You might well pray
- If your boat were sinking
- If your company were going bust
- If your child were seriously ill
It is natural to pray. So what is prayer?
Communication:
Modern communication has transformed business: email, fax, telephone, mobile and text messages. Well, prayer beats the lot. It is instant and always available:
- It doesn't crash or go down
- It doesn't run out of batteries or signal
- It doesn't run out of consumables
Communication is the lifeblood of business. If you cannot arrange your business life without communication, it is equally true that you cannot arrange your spiritual life without communication.
Who are you communicating with?
Imagine if you had access to the very head of your organisation - a bit frightening! But in prayer you do have the number of the Managing Director, the person who has complete power. You have direct access because, as a Christian, you are one of the family.
Why do people pray in Jesus' name?
If I write a cheque for £1,000,000 it is almost certainly worthless, but if Standard Life writes a cheque for the same amount it is worth every penny because it is signed by the chief accountant. People pray in Jesus' name because Jesus has unlimited funds in heaven. In prayer he has given you his cheque-book, already signed by him.
Yes, but does God answer prayer?
God is not the genie from Aladdin. Imagine if everyone got exactly what he or she prayed for immediately. It would be a crazy world made up of top executives and Porsche drivers. God gives 3 answers to prayer:
- Yes: The most usual answer to prayer. Try it, keep a diary and see.
- No: A loving parent would not let a 5 year old play with a carving knife.
- Wait: God may be saying: yes, but this is not the right time.
How do you pray?
Anywhere, anytime, no special language - on a 23 bus, in a traffic queue for the Forth Bridge, or between emails. But remember: this is communication. If you wanted to speak about something important to the boss of your company, would you just casually have a word with him or her in the corridor or the lift?
Furthermore, Jesus said:
"When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father who is unseen."
I find this helpful: ACTS
| A |
Adoration: |
Not sucking up - more expressing some respect. ( If you went into your company boss's office you would speak differently than if you were speaking to a colleague.) |
| C |
Confession: |
You can either admit your mistakes or cover them up. If you are found out, then covering up is definitely the worse option. Consider this: God knows everything; you cannot hide anything from him. So simply admit what you have done wrong and say you're sorry. |
| T |
Thanksgiving: |
It is normal courtesy to thank someone for helping you last week. How much more may it be appropriate to thank God for all sorts of things. |
| S |
Supplication: |
Asking. Now you can say what you would like God to help you with today. |
Another powerful way to pray is to pray with others. Jesus said:
"I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by your father in heaven."
Prayer is at the heart of being a Christian because Christianity is about having a one to one relationship with God and you cannot have a relationship with someone without communication. Prayer is just that communication.
Remember: when you pray coincidences happen.
| 
