I remember a speaker at a conference I attended claiming that he had identified the secret to successful prayer. It was a matter of persistence in prayer and fasting. We give up too easily, he claimed. He was even prepared to put a number on this. Just as Jesus prayed and fasted for 40 days,… Continue reading How many times do you need to ask?
Tag: Prayer
Forgive us our debts
When we get to this point in the Lord’s Prayer, we are reminded of two stories Jesus told. I have mentioned the first one a few times. It is the story of the unforgiving servant. The other one is about a young man, who demands his inheritance and heads off to a far country where… Continue reading Forgive us our debts
Thy kingdom come
When Jesus started preaching, he announced the nearness of God’s kingdom. This kingdom is not about a specific geographical area, rather it is about God’s sovereign rule and reign over his creation. We link “Your kingdom come” to “your will be done” because the two go closely together. A prayer for God’s kingdom to come… Continue reading Thy kingdom come
Our Father in Heaven
One of the fascinating things that strikes me as I read Matthew 6 is these words: “Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”[1] It is often suggested that if God already knows everything and even predestines everything then there is no point in praying at all. God already knows and… Continue reading Our Father in Heaven
Private Prayer in a place of Public Worship is an oxymoron
The UK Government has said that it aims to see places of public worship opening from the 4th July at the earliest. That’s promising. However, before you get too excited, check the detail. Comments from those involved in consultations suggest that we will not be opening for public worship, rather church buildings will be allowed… Continue reading Private Prayer in a place of Public Worship is an oxymoron
Spatial Awareness
One of the little spin off controversies during lockdown has been around the question of where to live-stream church services from. Initially some churches broadcast from their buildings. The aim was to give a sense of continuity for unsettled congregations. In some cases, it also made sense because prior to the full, tighter lockdown it… Continue reading Spatial Awareness
Coronavirus Interview with a Doctor
We had the opportunity to catch up with Dr Steve Sturman on Afternoon Tea today. Here are some of the things we talked about (watch the interview below) – What is it currently like to be working in hospital? – Is it safe to go into hospital if I’m unwell with another condition? – What… Continue reading Coronavirus Interview with a Doctor
Praying for healing (Will God heal me? part 3)
How should we go about praying for healing? Do we need to go to a special healing service and follow a set process? Here’s some notes and then the #AfternoonTea conversation on praying for healing and also our response when the prayer is answered. Anyone can pray for healing for themselves and for others. The… Continue reading Praying for healing (Will God heal me? part 3)
When God doesn’t heal (Will God heal me part 2)
This is part two in our look at the question “Will God heal me?” You can find the first discussion here. What do we do when we long for healing, have prayed for healing and it doesn’t seem to happen? Here are some notes from the discussion which you can watch below. This can be… Continue reading When God doesn’t heal (Will God heal me part 2)
Will God heal me? (Part 1)
Here’s our latest “Afternoon Tea discussion” and as usual, I’m going to give some summary notes here but the best thing to do is to watch it through. There’s some intro stuff including a book review and conversation about increased wild-life sightings but you can skip through the appetisers and get into the main content… Continue reading Will God heal me? (Part 1)
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